The Lost and Forgotten
by sugarapplesweet
Summary: A shell of its former glory, an island remains an enigma to the outside world. Here, tired buildings waver in the wind and moan with age and pain. Here, lives have faded away into nothing. And here, memories which were better left forgotten will return.
1. Introduction

**Author's Note:** A special thanks goes out to Jean Cooper for all of her support as well as The Scarlet Sky for inspiring to finally go through with writing horror.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon nor its characters.

-/-

**Introduction**

_"Can you hear me?"_

My eyes were snapped open only to be met by nothing but darkness. The cabin where I slept was silent save for the gentle lapping of the waves against the side of the ship, but there was also an unusual chill in the air. One that I hadn't felt in a very long time... or at least not since I'd left home all those years ago.

_"Can you hear me?"_

"Yes," I replied. "I can hear you." The voice had been soft, almost too soft for me to hear even within the silence of the room, but it was definitely there. Because the voice was so quiet, I knew it came from a long ways off, and given the gentle tone with which it spoke, I guessed it was a woman speaking to me. "What is it?" No answer. "What do you want from me?"

_"You have to go."_

"Go?" I echoed, sitting upright in my bed. The blankets shifted all around me, having wrapped themselves around my waist to keep me from moving any further, but the only sound was the sheets against my body. Whoever had been talking to me had gone. I still called out to the woman one last time, though, if only so I could sleep more soundly that night. "Where am I supposed to go?" After all, I'd already left everything from my old life behind, and I had yet to find a place for me to go. Even a voice from no where was more direction than what I had. "Where do you want me to go?"

At first, there was nothing at all. No voice, no chills, nothing at all. I waited, thinking that maybe she was gathering her strength, but when the woman still didn't answer, I laid back down and stared up at the ceiling. She was still there- of that I was sure- although I had yet to even see her. However, just as I was about to fall asleep again, I felt a light, cold breath cross over my face. Soon followed by a faint whisper in my ear.

_"To the islands, Mark... The islands..."_


	2. Chapter One

**Author's Note:** I'm very sorry for the short chapters, but as none of this is particularly interesting (to me at least), I'm really trying to keep things more simple until the right time. Please bear with me on this.

-/-

**Chapter One**

_The islands?_ As far as I knew, there weren't any islands on our route, but I told myself not to take what the spirit- or even the illusion of one- too seriously. After all,, for all I knew, she could just be the part of me that wanted an escape from my life on the run. Not from anything too exciting, of course, but I was still running. W_hy the islands, though? I don't even like warm weather all that much..._

It was then that I was thrown onto the floor and having been pulled from the silence behind my thoughts, I could hear the storm that raged on. Waves crashed against the sides of the ship. Lightening struck and thunder rolled, and amid the chaos, I asked myself how I could hear a ghost's whisper and not a typhoon like the one just outside my window.

Again, I was tossed away from the bed, but this time I was unable to keep from striking my head against the end table. I hissed and nursed the back of my skull as the lamp toppled back onto the floor behind me. It broke, sparks flying despite it not having been on, and even with there having been no light before, the room seemed much darker than before.

_"Take a deep breath," _the voice warned _"You-"_

If she said more, it was lost to me. At that moment, all could hear was splintering wood and the thunder that followed. Like an explosion.

The room shifted, and I felt it start to lean inward- like it was going to collapse in on itself- though only slightly. My body stiffened, but even as scared as I was, I still willed myself towards the door. I came on board with next to nothing, so to be left with nothing at all was hardly any trouble for me. At least not as much as losing my life. After all, like normal people, I had no idea what death would be like, and it was the last thing I wanted to know.

Not when I still had so much time that should've been left for me to live.

Reaching for the door, there was a slow and heavy groan. At first I had no way of knowing what was happening, but then, without warning, my mind's eye was forced open. I saw it. The ship's crew ran about the hull, shouting to one another before retreating to the stairs, and then there was the large beam that once stood at the center. Once... because it was now left in two.

"So were _are_ capsizing..." The thought only made me all the more curious of what had happened. Of course, I was quickly reminded of the situation when the ship's floor took a much sharper angle. "There's no way... This is more than just a vision, isn't it?"

In the hallway, the other passengers were lost in the midst of the disaster. There were those who were fighting against the flow of the others, no doubt trying to get the last of their things before the boat sank, and not surprisingly, there were all ready calls for women and children to go ahead of the rest. A family pushed by me led by an old man with a cane, answering the call, but I paid little attention to them before letting myself be carried away by the tide of bodies.

Breaking the surface, the cold air swept over us- causing some to even gasp with sudden shock- but the sense of terror only grew. After all, below deck a person could at least try and assure themselves that there was no real problem, but seeing the situation as it really was was another matter entirely.

The ship had split. Not right down the middle, of course- that was only in the movies- but it had still broken apart all the same. Not that I was afraid just yet. There was still time for all of us to escape as long as we could reach the-

"Get out of my way!"

I stumbled forward into the rail, my hands instinctively reaching out to steady myself, but my grip was weak and my hands slick with sweat. Even before it happened, I knew. The moment I saw the blackness of the sea beneath me...

I knew I would fall.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

When I came to land, I felt the air being driven out of me only to breathe in water. It was ice cold against my skin, and my entire body drew in on itself just to keep warm. Something which made me sink even deeper into the ocean. A realization that quickly became a feeling of desperation.

Even when I tried to move, though, I only felt pain. Pain that ran all along my spine and even into my fingers and toes. I pushed upwards, kicking my feet as desperately as I could while spreading my arms wide, but I soon sank back down again. I needed air. I could feel it in my chest. My lungs were all but on fire. I needed to break the surface.

_Just keep swimming,_ I told myself. _You can't panic. Not yet. Not now._

That was when I heard it. At first I thought it was a scream, but it wasn't long before I knew just what it was. They were voices... hundreds of them... And they were all calling out to me with each and every one of them talking over one another.

_"What happened to me?"_

_"Where am I?"_

_"Help me."_

_"Help me."_

All it took was one last kick and my head broke through the water. I gasped for air, my chest swelling with one deep breath, but with the storm raging all around me, it wasn't long before I was pulled under once again.

_"Help me!"_

"I can't!" I screamed, struggling against the wind and waves. "I can't even help my-" Another wave washed over my head, but this time I forced myself to stay above water even as I gasped and sputtered. The salt was stinging my eyes and burning my throat. It hurt. "You're all ready dead!" I cried out. "There's no help for you any more! Go! Leave me alone!"

_"Mark, you have to calm down."_ I clenched my teeth together and fought to stay afloat, but I didn't try to shut out the voice. Not that one anyway. That one voice was the first, and she was still with me... which meant I might have a chance. _"You need to let go. Don't fight it."_

Or maybe she was the one sent to take me away.

"I'm not ready to die!" _Not yet. I can't die yet. I can't. I can't. _"I can't!"

_"You won't, Mark,"_ she promised. Before she could say anything else, I was pulled under once more. This time, I didn't have enough strength to bring myself up again. Not when there were so many other voices trying to reach me. They wanted me to find their brothers, their sisters, their fathers, mothers, children, and lovers. They wanted to live again, and they wanted to move on. They- _"Listen only to me. Only me, Mark... Only me..."_

_But they need me._

_"Right now... you need you..."_ I knew she was right, of course, but I couldn't stop the other voices. They wanted me to listen to them. Some of them even wanted me to join them. _"You have to go to the islands,"_ she insisted. _"You have to."_

_Then take me there,_ I told her. My mind was going blank... and I could feel that I was running out of time. I was sinking. _If you want me... to go... then take me there... Take me._


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

With that final thought, I faded out completely. The sea around me was black once again, and my mind was black. I could still hear the voices, but they all seemed so far away that I didn't really care that they were with me. It was almost comforting in a way... even if they were all so angry.

Some were angry because they were lost. Some were confused. Others were scared. Then, of course, there were those who were just angry people in life, and those were the ones I was actually worried about.

The voices became distant then. I could still feel the water around me, but I no longer felt so cold. My stomach was warm, and a part of me started to wonder if it had all just been some horrible dream. Of course, maybe that was only what I wanted it to be. For it to be a dream- from the storm to the voices- would mean everything to me, but I knew it was anything but the truth. There was no escaping it. It was what it was.

Opening my eyes, I saw a blue sky over me. I was still floating, but even without being able to look around to see where I was, I was sure I was close to shore. I could hear the waves on the sand and the gulls that walked it in search of the food that the storm had brought them. "So I'm alive?" I whispered, my lips cracking with every word. "That voice really has to be something else... to have brought me this far."

Closing my eyes again, I fell back into unconsciousness. Not as far as I had before, but I was still gone. I wanted to come back and wake up again, but I really couldn't when I didn't have the strength for the waking world. The will was there, but not the energy.

Then the voices came.

At first i thought they were the same voices that I had been listening to throughout the storm, but when I couldn't hear what was being said- even within my own mind- I knew they were real. The kind that I truly wanted and even needed to hear.

"Please! Someone!" The voices stopped, but I still called even though I was still unable to move. "Come get me! I can't make it on my own, so please! Someone save me!"

"Quit screaming, will you?" I tilted my head back to try and see who was talking to be, but when I did, I was blinded by the sun. I could tell from the voice that it was a woman, but it still wasn't the voice from the ship. It was too sharp. Too spiteful. "We're right here, you idiot."

_We?_

"Come on, Natalie... Can't you see he's seriously hurt?" It was a young man, most likely younger than the girl by the sound of it, but I couldn't see him either. All I could do was listen as they knelt down in the sand beside me and feel someone hold my hand. "You'll be all right," he assured me. "There are two more of us here. We'll help you."

"Thank you," I choked out. "I'm... I'm Mark." I know I was being stupid by telling them my name, but it was all I could think to say. "Were you on that ship?"

"Yeah," the woman agreed. "We got knocked overboard just like you." I tried again to look at them while turning my head from side to side, but it was hard to make out much of anything. "What'd you do? Go blind or something?"

"I don't know."

"Hey! What'd you two think you're doing running off like that?" I winced as an old man shouted, his voice all but drilling its way into my head, but I kept still. "I told you to stay with your mother!"

"Come on, Gramps," the girl snapped back, the sand shifting under her as she stood. "We're not kids any more. We can take care of ourselves."

"I just wanted to make sure he was all right," the other explained. "He's kind of out of it, but... I think he'll be okay if we get him some food and water. He's been out there for a while." The grip on my hand tightened slightly, and it was then I realized it was the boy who was holding onto me. His hands were soft... but they were also small and weak. "Where's Mom at?"

"She'll be coming," the grandfather assured him. I could hear him walking towards us, but instead of two sets of footsteps, it sounded like three. "Just let him alone, Elliot. He might've hit his head along the way here."

"Father! Kids!" Someone else was coming then, and at first I thought I recognized them. It was another woman, this on being older than the one at my side, but from a distance, she almost sounded like the voice that came to me in my sleep. Almost, but not quite. "Thank heavens I found all of you," she breathed, coming to join them. Then she gasped. "Who is this?"

"He says his name is Mark," the girl explained. "He's from the same ship as us."

"Is that right?" She knelt beside my head, her fingers brushing over my hair, but I only winced when she touched my face. "Can you open your eyes for me?" I did as I was told, and although I had a hard time seeing the others when they first found me, I could see her clearly. She had a kind face and a warm, inviting smile and strawberry blonde hair that was braided like halo about her head. "Well, I don't think you have a concussion," she assured me, "but I think it'd be best if we moved you inside for a while."

"Thank you," I murmured, closing my eyes again. Maybe it was because I knew I was safe and no longer so close to death or because of the people around me, but while I began to fall into a more pleasant slumber, there were no other voices. No desperate cries for help, and no one calling from beyond. Of course, even without being able to look around me, I was sure I had found the islands. The only questions I had were why I had to be there, and if The Voice was the one to bring me there.

"Mark... I need you to get up." I woke with a jolt, my entire body throwing itself upright, but when I did, the woman only continued to smile. "You really need to drink something," she said while offering me a chipped glass. No doubt something they had found. "You were out there for a long time, and you still haven't drank anything."

I took the glass from her and put it to my lips, but I was still wary. Even when I began to drink the water, I took my time to look around me. We were alone, and night was quickly falling. My eyes darted around the room, trying desperately to take it all in, but it wasn't long before I felt her hand on mine and felt my whole body relax under her touch. She had a calming presence, that woman, but I still felt embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I guess the shock is finally getting to me."

"I understand." We sat together in silence then, and while I drank what little was left of the water, I tried to take in the room for a second time. It was small with what looked to be a full kitchen and a dining room just outside the bedroom we were sitting in, and despite the few holes in the wall and no doubt the roof, it still seemed sturdy enough for the family to live in for the time being. "It's not much, I'm afraid, but it'll do for now," she said. "At least until we can get help."

"Is there anyone still living here?" I asked. After all, if there were other buildings like the one we were living in, then the place couldn't have been abandoned for very long. If at all. Even so, she still shook her head. "Are you sure?"

"We've looked everywhere," she explained. "Well, as much as we can. The bridge to the west is out, and there's a large boulder in the way of the path leading to the east. It seems this island is just as lost and lonely as we are... Not that that's such a bad thing." The woman- whose name I still didn't know- was smiling as she said it, but I could hear the sadness with which she spoke. "Oh, I never introduced myself, did I? My name's Felicia Phillips."

"Mark Smithers," I said with a smile, "and it's a pleasure to be stranded with you."

"Ugh, and he's got a lousy sense of humor, too." Even if I didn't mean anything by my comment, I still felt my face warm. "You do know she's my mom, right?"Well, it was hard not to tell.. seeing that they looked so much alike. Natalie had her hair and her eyes without a doubt, and even though her attitude was drastically different, she was still clearly her mother's daughter.

"Now, Natalie, he was just being nice." Felicia shook her head again and sighed as she came to stand up from the bed. "Where's Father and Elliot?" The girl only shrugged. "They wouldn't have gone very far... Would they?"

"Probably took the road up from the house. Gramps was all serious about going up there, but I don't see why. It's just a big field with a bunch of branches and rocks laying around. No big deal if you ask me." She might not have looked all that impressed, but she certainly sounded as if she was more than a little interested. "Gramps is just plain weird."

"He's perfectly normal," her mother insisted. "Just easily excitable is all."

"Yeah, no kidding." I frowned slightly, wondering once more just how such a girl like her could be the daughter of such a calm and reassuring woman, but unfortunately for me, she clearly saw it on my face. "Quit staring at me, will you? Don't you know how to be polite?" _A lot more than you do._ "You're a man, so why don't you go and see what they're doing?"

"Please understand that she's worried about them," Felicia whispered, still smiling. I nodded, but as far as I was concerned, I would just be happy with getting away from her. "And please don't mind Father. Like I said, he's just very excitable during times like these."

I did my best to smile back when leaving the house, but once the ramshackle door was closed behind me, I scowled. Not because of what had just happened, but because of my surroundings. What with the hollow buildings with their doors opened wide like gaping mouths and the late winter fog spilling out from the windows and onto the overgrown lawns. It was rather sad, really, but it was even more frightening.

Especially for someone like me who could all but feel the decay with my own body.

The island was quiet, though, and I was more than grateful to walk in the silence. Sure, it made things all the more eerie, but as long as I was unable to hear the voices that no doubt lingered in the buildings around me, I was happy. After all, it meant I only had my own thoughts to distract me, and that was more reassuring than anything else after what had happened.

"That'll do it!" I jumped, not having realized I had found them so soon, but even if I hadn't meant to stumble upon them just yet, standing there and swinging about a wooden cane was the old man with his grandson seemingly being lost. "Now look at this here, Elliot. Isn't this a fine farm?"

"Well... it could be," the young man replied. "With some work."

"Of course! Nothing worth havin' if you don't work for it, Elliot. Remember that!" I chuckled to hear just how passionate he was about the whole thing, but when he snapped his head around to look back at me, I immediately felt a cold chill run down my spine. "And here's the man to run it!"

"What? Oh no... I don't think-" Before I could protest any further, the grandfather was all but dragging me behind him as he continued to ramble on. He guided me through the debris ridden field and the small shed at the front entrance while telling me of everything he was thinking it could be. From the barns and the animals that lived there to the crops I could- and would- grow, all the while turning a deaf ear to my weak resistance. "But I don't know anything about farming," I tried to explain. "I don't even know your name."

"Taro," he said with a curt nod as he turned back to face me. It was the first time I had gotten to see the man, but with it being so dark, I could only make out a white shirt, a pair of overalls, and a large, bald head. "And you may not know a thing about farmin' like I do, son, but you'll learn soon enough."

"I'm afraid I don't have a clue what you're talking about..."

"He wants you to start up this farm," Elliot explained, coming to join us. He was a little shorter than myself, but he still stood taller than the old man. "I told him we needed to ask you first, but he likes to make his mind up about these things on his own."

"You just don't know a thing about potential," Taro insisted, stamping down the end of his walking stick into the clay earth. "Mark here will do just fine."

"Shouldn't we be trying to get help?" I asked. "I mean... we _were_ shipwrecked."

"I guess so," the young man agreed, sounding a bit embarrassed as if he had forgotten the circumstances of our being there. "It's just our family was actually looking to find a place like this to start a shipping company," he explained. "Nothing big, of course, but something a small family could run on their own."

"And you want me to run a farm to get things going?"

"That and you'll keep us alive until someone happens to come along and find us," the old man assured me. "I managed to find some seed bags over in that house by the path. Seems to be in mighty fine condition if you ask me."

"The seeds or the house?" After all, the way he talked, jumping from one thing to another, I really had no way of knowing which one he was talking about. I was just lucky he laughed instead of hitting me since I wasn't so sure I could put it past him not to knock me over the head with the large knot at the top of his staff. "This all just seems so sudden..."

"Just have to man up about it is all," Taro replied. "Anyhow, I figure we can sort this all out in the morning, so why don't you go ahead and see what the girls managed to find for us to eat. Working men can't live on an empty stomach!"

With that- and a shrug and a sigh from Elliot- we were off again. However, just as we were about to leave the farm to the growing darkness, I stopped abruptly. A sudden chill had fallen on me, one that made me shiver and hold myself for warmth as my breath began to cloud in front of me. I knew what it was, but even with that being the case, I had never had the sensation be so strong before. Almost as if whatever it was was standing right beside me and breathing down my neck...

_"Welcome to islands, Mark..."_ she whispered in my ear._ "Welcome."_


	5. Chapter Four

**Author's Note: **Just so there's no confusion, this chapter has a time skip so as to lessen the number of introductions.

-/-

**Chapter Four**

We walked in silence. Not because we had nothing to say, really, but because we were left with too many things. After all, it was quite overwhelming to see the place… even if it was more of the same of what we saw when we first arrived.

"It's like everyone just got up and left," I breathed, trying to keep my voice steady despite the chill. "At least out of this area."

"Yeah..." my companion agreed, his gentle brown eyes searching the landscape through his strawberry blond hair. In the month we had both lived there, I learned that Elliot was much like myself in that he was rather quiet, and although I certainly liked that about him, I had to admit I was hoping for a little more. "Some of them probably have a few things we could use."

With little hesitation, we made our way further into the east side of town, but after a brave start, I could all but feel the young man's courage start to leave him. I could understand, though. When he and his family were first stranded on the island, they had come upon the town in broad daylight, and at that time, the buildings had only looked sad and neglected. At dusk, however, they were not only haunting... but threatening as well.

"Maybe we should come back tomorrow?" he offered, resting his hand on my arm. He didn't even try to hide the fact he was shaking as he held on, but I chose not to mention it. "I mean, we don't really know what could be in there, and the last thing we need is for one of us to get hurt. It's not like we have a doctor around here."

"Come on, Elliot," I urged. "The worst that could happen is one of us steps on a nail. Besides, we won't be long."

He nodded slightly, but I could tell by the whites of his eyes that he was still nervous. Not that I could blame him with what we came to see. Just as I had said, the town looked as thought the people who had lived there had just up and fled. Pots and pans lay scattered on the lawns while broken plates and glasses littered the doorways, and when we dared to look inside the first house we came to, a table and chairs were left overturned while torn blankets and shredded pillows were half-pulled out of bedrooms. Unfortunately, with night fast approaching, we had no choice but to leave scavenging for another day. All the same, it was a good reminder that what we had before us would be no easy task.

"What do you think happened?" Elliot asked after we stepped back onto the main road. "Everything looked ransacked."

"If they were, there would be nothing left," I reminded him. "Looks like a storm blew threw them is all." The only problem was the fact that the houses themselves were still standing, but with the sun having set, I couldn't tell for sure just what had truly happened. "We'll have to see tomorrow, I guess."

"Are you sure you're okay, Mark?" I turned my head back from the shadowed buildings to find my friend studying me. Unlike most people who would stare at me, though, I didn't really mind his scrutiny all that much. I knew he was just being kind, so I could simply shrug my shoulders and know there would be no more questions. "All right… but just so you know, if anything is bothering you, you can always feel free to tell me about it. It's not like I have anyone else to tell."

"Yeah, me either," I agreed with a chuckle. "I sure hope more people start showing up. We could use the company."

"And the business," he sighed. "I mean, it's great with the boat coming every day now, but we'd make more money if we could see more business around here." He thought on it for while longer, but soon enough he shook his head. "You know, this isn't as easy as I thought it would be."

"Well, it's not like we can really make a lot when all I've been shipping is turnips and wild herbs. I've got potatoes growing, but they aren't any where near ready to pick yet." It was my turn to sigh then. "I still don't think I have a clue what I'm doing out there…"

"Nonsense, son! You're doin' everything you ought to be doin' on that farm of yours!"

Despite the old man's yelling, neither of us so much as flinched to hear him call out to us. Even in the dark, I could clearly imagine him in my mind with his cane waving about and his large, almost potato-like head bobbling around on the top of his skinny neck and narrow shoulders, but I was careful not to so much as crack a smile. After all, he was the one to finally give me a chance, and at the very least, I had that to respect him for.

"Are you coming, Mark?" My head popped up as my face began to turn red, but Elliot just smiled. "Mom and Natalie have dinner ready if you want some. Your stove still isn't working, right?" I nodded. "Come on then."

To be honest, no matter how many times I went over there to eat, I was always embarrassed. It wasn't because I didn't need the food being as I was still stuck eating whatever I could gather, but there was a feeling I got whenever I ate with them that I just couldn't seem to shake off. It wasn't anything they did or said, but something in the home didn't seem quite right to me. The closest thing I could compare it to was being watched, and even then, I wasn't absolutely sure.

However, as soon as I followed both Taro and his grandson inside, I forgot all about the feelings I had. Not that Felicia would give me much of a choice in the matter with a personality as warm and inviting as her own.

"Oh, Mark, it's good to see you!" Before I could so much as say hello, I found myself being held in a loving embrace by the older woman. Like always, she smelled of wild flowers, and I just had to smile to realize that it was because she still had the moondrop flower I had giver her that morning tucked in the pocket of her apron. "We were just about to have some of the herring that Chen and his son brought us."

I glanced behind her as she pulled away and nodded towards the two seated at the table. "Good to see you again."

"Same to you," the man replied with a small smile. I had a hard time placing just what type of person he was since he kept a rather simple appearance for being such a shrewd businessman. He was a very kind individual as far as I could tell, but there was no denying that he wasn't quite all that Felicia and her family seemed to think he was. "I haven't seen you at my shop much these days."

"Well, I don't really have the money to right now," I explained. "As it is, I all ready have to come here just to get a decent meal." Even though I hated to be pitied, I didn't really see any point in trying to deny how bad it all was for me. Especially not when it was so plain to see I was hurting. "I'm sure everything will turn out find once I have a little more time."

"You know you don't have to keep that old farm, Mark," Felicia said quietly as she set a plate in front of me. "Father may be pushing for you to make it a success, but you need to do what's right for you."

"Yeah, and maybe then you won't have to mooch off of us any more." Her mother frowned to hear the comment, but even when she did, I knew Natalie wasn't about to apologize. After all, if she said something, she almost always meant it, and that was never more true then when she was talking about me. "He comes over here every night just to eat."

"Now, Natalie, please," the woman scolded her. "We're all in this together, and that means we need to help out if and when we can. Besides, you know just as well as everyone else here that we can't do any of this without Mark any more than he can without us." With her daughter not having anything to say against it, she smiled once again and brought her attention elsewhere. "Charlie, would you like seconds?"

The young boy hadn't said so much as a single word while sitting beside his father across from me, but when he heard her, he jumped in his seat. "Oh, yeah. Sure."

Without really meaning to, I raised an eyebrow, but luckily for me, no one seemed to notice the tension between us. It wasn't because of what was being said, though, so much as it was about the way boy became so quiet around me. He looked nearly identical to man next to him with his dark hair and eyes and traditional clothes, but unlike the other, he was rarely very quiet. I had asked him about it once not long after they had moved to the island, but even then what he said made little sense to me.

_'You think you know so much, don't you?' _was what he had said to me, but even after all that time, I still couldn't make heads or tails of it. Could he sense that I was different from him in a way that only children could, or had I misunderstood?

"_You have no need to worry,"_ the Voice assured me. _"He knows nothing of what you are."_

I froze, my fork hovering just in front of my mouth, but said nothing. Ever since the day that followed the storm, my mind had been silent aside from my own thoughts, and to be honest, I actually began to believe that she wouldn't return. Maybe I had convinced myself that she had moved on, or perhaps I figure she was even a figment of my imagination.

"Mark?" I blinked as Felicia's hand settled on my shoulder, but the chill stayed with me. The Voice was there... watching. I was sure of it. "Is something the matter?"

"No, nothing's wrong," I insisted. But there was something, and even if it wasn't wrong, it wasn't quite right either. "I just had an idea is all... but I don't know how to go about it."

"Well, if it has anything to do with the farm, be sure to ask Father about it first. I know he can be handful at times, but he does know a thing or two when it comes to farming." Of course he did, but that still didn't mean he was the right person to ask about what I had on my mind. Then she began to look around the room. "Didn't Father and Elliot come in with you?"

"Elli's probably next door," his sister muttered, picking up the dirty dishes from the table. "He's always going over there..."

Without another word, I decided to leave for the night and return to my own house up they way. I was never eager to go, but I had a feeling it was time to make myself scarce. Even if I was comfortable in that place, I knew I had no right to use such kind people as an escape. I needed to face my own fears.

Where a person choses to live shouldn't be frightening. However, the farmhouse was hardly welcoming, and I was sure sleeping soundly was going to be next to impossible for me. Not that my hay bed and moth-eaten blankets were any help. Then again, I had no one to blame when I had refused all the help that was offered from my neighbors. Even so, it wasn't their fault that I was struggling, so there was no reason to take from them.

Aside from the uncomfortable bed, the broken stove, and total lack of electricity, though, things were doing better than what I expected. I only had to take my new life one day at a time, a job at a time. The only real question was what jobs to do on what day.

"Maybe the chicken coop can wait," I thought aloud as I lay down, "but if I don't get some money coming in soon, Ill be even worst off." I waited, hoping for an answer from the Voice, but when none came, I just sighed and turned over in my bed. "I guess I'll just have to ask Taro about it tomorrow..."


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Even when morning had come, the blanket of fog that settled over the island every evening would remain, making my work all the more difficult. Not that it was all that difficult to begin with, of course, but it still made things all the more tiring when I could only see the shadows that loomed ahead of me. More than once, I had crushed one of my plants as I walked blindly through the misty field, and I would often think I would be much better off if I waited a couple more hours before starting my work. However, that little idea was quickly put to an end as soon as I mentioned it to Taro.

I winced to hear my hoe strike a rock, lighting a small spark at my feet. It disappeared just as quickly as it came, but even so, I swore under my breath. Without a blacksmith around, I had to be sure my tools were in their best condition. Otherwise I would just have to order a new one from the city.

_Maybe it wasn't so bad there, after all,_ I thought briefly. Then I shook my head before picking up the offending stone and throwing it back behind me. _I'm probably better off here, though, aren't I?_

It was a rhetorical question, really, and I knew better than to expect an answer- especially since I was on my own property. I was never able to explain it, but for some reason, the farm was always unusually quiet. Although we were on an island and such a thing was to be expected, it wasn't like anything else I had heard around the rest of the town aside from the newly opened east side. Even then, there was at least an occasional bird song if nothing else.

On the farm, I doubted there were even any birds there to begin with. If there were, they were certainly the most melancholic birds I had ever encountered. The river was also eerily silent as it trickled down alongside the property, but that was only the beginning.

When I had first begun to work the land closet to the stream, I had tried to follow the direction it was coming from. Like all rivers, it flowed down from the higher ground, but if I so much as let my gaze reach the large boulder to the north, I would all but be struck dumb by a sever, almost crippling headache. There was no real explanation, of course, yet that just made it all the more troubling to me. After all, even with all that had happened to me in my short life, I never had that reaction to anything before.

I tried not to dwell on it for long as I continued to tend to my crops. That still didn't keep me from jumping right out of my skin when I felt someone take a tight hold of my shoulder. After seeing who it was, though, I was just happy that I hadn't screamed. Especially since I knew she would never let me live it down if I had.

"What are you doing here so early, Natalie?" I asked, trying to hide the shock she had given me. "It's not time for my shipment, is it?"

"That's at five, you idiot. Do you really think I'd come to get something you don't even have yet?" I immediately felt my face begin to flush, but when I did, the young woman just rolled her eyes. "You really are so helpless."

"You might say that," I agreed with a cold smile. "Still, I think I'm doing pretty well for never having done this before. Don't you think?" I knew she wouldn't try to be supportive, but I had to chuckle as she looked away. "Enough about that, though. What'd you come over here for then?"

"Elliot wants you for something," she explained. "He said you guys were going to check out the other side of town." She studied me for a minute, but then turned her head away from me and back down the road she'd come from. "If you ask me, it just seems like a waste of time."

"How about going with us?" As soon as I suggested it, her face began to crumple up like a piece of paper. It was easy to tell she hated the idea, but I wasn't sure whether it was because of the where we going or because we would be going with her. Of course, there was only one way I could think to find out. "Unless you're too scared to, that is..."

"Why would I be scared? It's just a bunch of old houses." Even if she wasn't afraid, she was doing a great job of convincing me that it was a fact. Just by the way her eyes narrowed and her shoulders were drawn forward, I had a feeling she was taking the whole thing as an attack against her. An assumption which I knew was the last thing that I would want her to have. "You want to see scared? Just wait until you see Elliot's face!"

I cringed in pain to have her take such a tight hold of my wrist, but soon enough I was smiling again. It was just like her to be so forceful when it came to proving me wrong, but I had to admit it would be a little strange for her not to be. Even if I wasn't sure why she felt the way she did about me, I still accepted it as a part of who she was.

Unfortunately for her brother, he wasn't so comfortable with being dragged along behind his little sister...

"Wait, I thought it was going to be me and you today," he whispered after having finally been let go. "What's she doing here?"

"She wants to prove me wrong about something I said earlier," I explained with a shrug. Then I sighed and shook my head. "I just hope she doesn't break anything while we're looking around..." Not that she would do it intentionally, but given how she was at the moment, I knew all she saw was red. "I've got to say, though, she certainly keeps things interesting."

_"Yes... she does."_

"Did you say something?" I asked, glancing back at my companion. When he shook his head, I felt my heart tighten in my chest. I was still careful not to show it, however. "I must be hearing things then."

I chose to let the Voice go and try to ignore it, but while we continued to walk through the abandoned part of town, its presence was stronger yet. Although I decided against asking it any questions, the whole time that it followed I couldn't help wondering just what brought it to me. After all, unlike the other voices I had heard, it wasn't bound to any one place. The only thing it seemed to cling to was me. A thought which made me shiver despite myself.

"What're you guys waiting for?" I looked up from the road in front of me to find Natalie standing under a large building. It was massive even for having only one story, and although I could see the roof easily enough, I still found myself craning back my neck just to look at it. The wood siding had lost all color, the peeling paint now being nothing more than a faded gray. Not only that, but the front doors as well as the all the windows had been busted out. "Are we going inside or not?"

"Not like there's anyone stopping you from going first." Natalie turned to glare at me, but even when I tried to hold back, I couldn't help but grin. She was just so predictable at times. Then again... so was I.

_"Who... are you?"_ The whisper came to me as soon as I stepped into the open doorway. It was much quieter than the Voice, so there was no reason for me to be afraid. Even if it still made me feel more than a little unsettled. _"Why... are you here?"_ it continued. _"You're not supposed... to be... here."_

_I could say the same for you._ Although I knew I'd be unable to actually see it, I still took a long and lingering look around the the front room in the hopes of finding it. From where I stood, it was clearly a foyer of some kind. Against the furthest paneled wall was a large mahogany desk which had long since been draped in dust, and just behind that were five small cubbyholes that had been carved into the wall itself and five long nails- four of which had keys that still hung dutifully waiting for guests. _Did you own this place?_

"This must've been a hotel." It was Elliot that I found standing next to me, and I soon came to realize he'd been holding onto my jacket ever since we ventured inside. For a brief second, I thought that maybe he understood my feelings towards the place, but I soon reminded myself that if he had, he most likely would've been long gone by then. "Where's-"

"She's probably checking out the other rooms," I assured him. I kept the truth to myself, of course, but I had actually been told of this by the spirit that had been left to linger there. She- or at least what I assumed to have once been a young woman or maybe even an older girl- was following Natalie very closely. Not only because she was annoyed with her being there but also because she was afraid. Of what, I couldn't really tell, but it was clear to me she was in at least some kind of distress. "Not much for us to take here... Just a bunch of old bedding and broken furniture laying around."

_"Give it... back!"_

It was then that a sudden crash came from the room down a hallway to the left. As soon as I heard the sound, I began running, knowing all too well who was in the room. Elliot did the same, but I was still the first to burst through the door.

There, on the floor, I could see two things. The first was a broken lamp, and the second was Natalie with her brown eyes wide and her lips trembling as if holding in a scream. However, it was what I heard that told me much more about the situation.

_"Stupid girl. Such a stupid... stupid girl..."_ the voice hissed. _"Now she'll be angry. Oh yes... very... very... angry..."_

_Who's angry?_ I asked, closing my eyes to the room. _Is there someone else here with you?_ There was no answer, and it was then that I realized that unlike most this particular spirit- for whatever reason- was unable to hear my thoughts. It only only when I heard the siblings arguing, my attention came back to what had just happened. "Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not all right!" Natalie snapped back. Even if she sounded angry, I could see she was shaking yet, and I had to wonder if maybe she had heard the spirit. Maybe she had even seen it. "You came running in here, and then you just stand there looking stupid?"

"He still came to make sure you were all right, didn't he?" her brother reminded her. "We thought you were hurt..."

"I told you I'm fine." With that, the young woman picked herself up off the floor, but even after Elliot had left the room, she didn't try to leave. "I... didn't do it," she said, more to herself than me, as she stared at the pieces scattered across the floor. "I found a key in the drawer. When I picked it up... it felt like someone was trying to take it away from me."

"Looks like it was heavy." She glared at me for saying it, but although I knew she thought I didn't believe her, I decided it was better for her to think that than have her know the truth of what had most likely happened. After all, there were very few people who would actually believe that a ghost could break a lamp. "Anyway, where's the key?"

"I don't know." I sighed and decided to let matters end there. Not only was there no real reason to upset her any more than she was, but a missing key hardly seemed worth the effort to upset the troubled spirit further. "Let's go back for today," I offered with a soft and understanding smile towards my companion. "I don't think Elliot is going to be able to take any more excitement..."


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

In the days that followed, it was soon apparent that all that could be done was to gather up the debris that had collected in the abandoned structures and have it taken away by the evening ferry. The only money to be made was from what could be salvaged for scrap metal, but even that was more of an insult than a gain. It was frustrating, but I think it was more so for the Phillips family than myself. After all, I still had a way of making a humble living just by doing what I had been done all season.

That and I was more curious as to what had happened at the hotel.

It was the only real reason I dared to venture into the dark foyer in the first place. I had decided to come alone in the hopes that the spirit that dwelled there might be more calm with the only person who might be able to understand it, but although I had tried to make my visit in the daytime, my neighbors had made it impossible. That, of course, meant I had no choice but to come at night. A time which I knew would only make all the more trouble for me.

"Hello?" My voice echoed against the naked walls, but when I closed my eyes to listen for a reply, none came. The building was silent. "Can you hear me?" Again, there was nothing save for a gentle breeze from outside, and I began to wonder if I had made a mistake. "Am I finally going out of my mind?"

_"Not at all."_

"It was a rhetorical question," I explained to the Voice, trying my best to hide my frustration, "but I'm sure you knew that." I might have been more than a little rude with my own reply, but I wasn't about to take it back. After all, even if she had been helpful at first, the Voice was quickly becoming more and more of a pain for me to try and talk to. "Do you only talk to me when it's on your terms then?"

_"There is not enough... energy here for me."_

Although I wanted to argue further, I decided it was better to let the conversation end there. If the Voice wanted to talk to me, then I had no choice but to let her, and the same would come if she didn't. When all was said and done, there was nothing I could do about it. I would just have accept it and move on.

I continued to walk blindly, letting my hands guide me through the foyer, but I soon stumbled as my foot caught itself under a hole in the torn and faded carpet. I cursed to myself as I stood upright, but it wasn't long before I tripped again. However, when I did so the second time, I was sure there was a different cause. One of which I was sure was a push.

"Not enough energy, huh?" I whispered harshly. "I guess you think I'm actually gullible enough to believe that." When the Voice didn't answer, I ground my teeth tighter together. "You know, I'm starting to think you're the stupid one here," I continued. "Can't be all that smart if you think I'd believe a lie like that. Remember, I know what you are, and I know what you can do as well."

_"Yes, but do you even know _who_ I am?"_ the Voice challenged. _"You can't even begin to imagine what will come..."_

It was at that moment that a chill ran down my spine, but I did my best to ignore it. Even if she was capable of throwing lamps or pushing me, she was still incapable of causing me any real harm. Which was the only reason why I pressed on despite the warning. Otherwise, I knew I wouldn't have thought twice about leaving after the threat.

Making my way down the far left hall, my hand resting on the molding on the wall, I came at last to the room where Natalie had been attacked. When I tried the door, though, I was a little surprised.

"It won't open?" I tried again, jiggling the handle and twisting the knob once more, but there was still no luck. "Is it locked?" I asked myself. Then I shook my head. "Of course it's not... No one's even been in here to lock it." However, when I tried all the other rooms, I was shocked to find that none of them would open. At first, I thought that maybe I was having one of those dreams- a nightmare where all the doors are locked and there's no way out. Then, after returning to the front desk, I realized things were even worse. "I'm sure there were more keys here..."

"They're all gone." I opened my mouth to say something back, but just as I went to reply, I realized that I was no longer alone. Not in the physical sense that is. "Someone probably has 'em. Just didn't want the kids trying to play around in here."

The man who spoke to me took two long strides further into the room. While I recognized his voice well enough, it was only after seeing him that I could be sure who it was. "Jeez, Vaughn... What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," he grumbled, tipping back his hat to look down at me. Even in the relative dark, I could see his disapproving glare, but although a part of me wanted to look away, I kept my gaze steady with his. Not that it was all that hard to do when everything else- including his clothes- was black. "You know there's nothing left to take from this place."

"Just wanted to check something out is all," I replied with a shrug. After all, I wasn't about to try and tell him I was hunting down ghosts or whatever. Besides, it seemed as good of an answer as he would give. "Didn't find anything, though, so I guess it's all right." Vaughn studied me a while longer, but I didn't let him intimidate me. He wouldn't have to know about it even if he did. Eventually, he seemed to be satisfied, and without another word, he turned and began making his way back towards the front doors. "Where are you off to?"

"Well, if there's nothing here, then why would I stick around?" I sighed, knowing that there was no real way I could argue with him, but when I tried to follow him, I felt like I was hitting a wall. Whether it was because of him, the Voice, or whatever else might be in the room, I kept feeling like I couldn't walk past it. "Aren't you coming?"

"Yeah." It might've taken more effort than it should, but I still managed to make my way through the foyer. Invisible hands reached out and pulled at my clothes and even my hair. While they were too weak to hold me back, I found myself fighting to keep myself from panicking. Especially when their voices started calling out my name. I stumbled out at last, and despite the skeptical look he gave me, I was just relieved to be on the other side of the door and still standing upright. "Wow, it's hard to see in there, isn't it?"

He didn't say a word as he looked past me, but when I glanced back to see what was there, I saw nothing. Much to my own relief.

"What made you go in there anyway?" I asked. "Aren't you usually waiting for the ferry on Thursday nights?" Vaughn only scowled at me, his face much more visible now that we were outside, and after a while, I accepted it as an answer. He was always cryptic, after all, so I didn't take any offense. I just sighed and shook my head before starting to walk away. "Guess I'll see you next week then."

"I don't know why I went in there." I stopped and turned back to look at the man, but his expression hadn't changed. I couldn't help also noticing that his gaze hadn't, either. "I saw you heading this way is all." Then he muttered under his breath as he pulled his hat back down over his eyes. "Forget it."

And so I did... or at least I tried to. Problem was that I couldn't stop wondering why he would bother to chase after me. Neither one of us thought the other was much for company, and so when we did speak to one another, it was always about business. Even then, we rarely did business with each other being as he was a rancher and I was a farmer. No doubt he wondered why he had come just as I had. Especially if the uncertain look on his face was any indication.

As for the hotel itself, I still had my doubts when it came to the missing keys. For whatever reason, Vaughn's theory that they were taken to keep the kids from playing inside just didn't sit right with me. For one, aside from Charlie, most of the children on the island were too young to wander around alone, and even then, he was also too busy with his father's store to go all the way to the east side of town just to play. For another, if they bothered to lock up all the rooms, then why would they leave the front doors open?

What had happened to me was the closest things I had to facts. There had been hands reaching out for me, and I knew they were not the hands of those who were alive. They were of those who were dead. Ghosts or spirits- it didn't matter what you called them because the truth was still the same.

If they could grab a hold of me, then who was to say they would have any trouble with hiding a few small keys?


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

On my part, I chose to keep the second hotel incident to myself. I did it out of not wanting to tell my neighbors about the haunting and make them suspicious about the local farmer, but it was never far from my mind. I still waited for the Voice to try and contact me, but she did her best to keep quiet as well. What she wanted and why were just a couple of the questions I had for her, but they could wait until I had my life back in order. I was dealing with more than enough as it was.

Summer was coming on fast, and I had crops to harvest. Not to mention I had to make some kind of living if I was going to build myself a chicken coop any time soon. Luckily for me, despite all that had happened, there was still a good chance that I might just make it after all.

"Very good, Mark! Not the best potatoes I've ever seen... but not bad at all for your first go!"

"Thanks, Taro." I tried not to laugh when he brought one to his face and examined it, noting the likeness between the root crop and his own head, but instead I offered him my hand. He gladly took it and gave me a firm shake along with a smile. "Couldn't have done any of it without you."

"At least you're enough of a man to admit it!" he laughed. Then his face hardened as he glared back at his grandson. "Elliot! What's taking so long?"

"Sorry, Grandpa, but there's someone moving in," the young man replied with a weak smile as he struggled to hold the crate of produce in his arms. "He's got a lot left on board, I guess."

"Then help him out, boy! We can't be lollygagging around here all day!" I sighed just as Elliot dropped the box on the dock and the old man next to me kept belting out orders. I knew even without being asked that they would need more help from me, but when I went to find our new neighbor, I was surprised to see nothing that needed unpacking. Just a bunch of fishing nets and rods. "Well, don't just stand there, Mark! Start bringing them down here!"

"These?" I asked, staring in disbelief at the nets down at my feet. "But, they're-" It was then that I heard a laugh from just above me, and I saw a young man stepping down onto the first deck. "Are they yours?"

"You betcha," he agreed with another chuckle. "Can't say I blame you for not knowin' though. We are on a boat, after all." As the new arrival came to stand in front of me, I realized we were the same height. Other than that, however, he couldn't have been any more my opposite. Not only was he tan and his arms well toned, but underneath his faded purple bandanna, he also had a thick crop of dark and curly hair. "Name's Denny, fisherman. Nice to meetcha."

Unlike most of the people I'd met, he didn't offer his hand when he introduced himself. All he gave me was a crooked grin, and I had to admit that it was a nice change. For the first time since coming to the island, I relaxed and smiled back with honesty. "Mark, farmer."

Although he made it clear that he didn't need my help when it came to actually unpacking, I found myself lingering at the seaside shack Denny had chosen to call home. There was little for me to do, really, but I found I enjoyed myself nonetheless. I spent most of the time just watching as he sorted through his belongings, taking note of what he had and- maybe more importantly- what he didn't, but he was keen on talking to me all the whole while.

Why he came here, where he came from, and what he planned... The reasons were all very simple. He came because of the fish, obviously, and he came from the southern islands. As for what he was planning, it seemed to be very little, and that was just fine by me. Maybe even a bit refreshing.

"So how about you?" he asked, flopping down on a cushion beside the fire pit in the center of the room. "What's your story?"

"Mine?" I blinked at first, my mind trying to think of a good answer, but I only drew a blank. I knew the real answer, of course, but since it was all so complicated, I still had no idea of what to say. "It's not really all that interesting... I mean, like I said earlier, I ended up here by accident."

"Yeah, but where were you going before then?" Denny pressed. "You jumped on that boat to go somewhere, didn't you?" When I didn't answer, he smiled and jerked his head over towards the kitchen. "How about you grab us a beer? Might make it easier for you."

I wanted to decline as I had no taste for the stuff, but I eventually sighed and admitted defeat. After all, if he could be so open to me so soon, the least I could do was tell him at least some of the truth behind who I was. Still, as I bent down to reach into the ice box, I started to have my doubts. The last time I had been so honest, my name had almost found its way into the city papers... Almost, but not quite.

"I guess I wanted to make a new name for myself," I explained, handing him his beer. I sat down on the mat next to him, and we opened our drinks together. A satisfying sound that brought a smile to my face. "Most people around here don't ask questions, so I decided to stay."

"As good of a story as any," he assured me. As if to agree with his owner, the mynah bird- whose named I had learned was Kuu- hopped up onto the man's head and nodded. I laughed, trying to hide the way I cringed at the taste that ran over my lips, but he didn't notice. A trait which I came to realize was what I liked most about him. "I don't know why you were so nervous, though. Did you think I wouldn't believe you?"

Thankfully, there was nothing else said or asked about my past, but whenever I went to leave, he would call me back and offer me another drink. Not surprisingly, it didn't take long before I was feeling a bit drunk. He fared little better, but it was hardly because he was a lightweight like I was. If anything, he had at least twice as much as I did, so even with all the blood having gone to my head, I was still impressed.

"You really are something." I sighed and laid back onto the floor, closing my eyes when the beams above me began to spin, but it only seemed to make me feel worse. "Fighting off sharks with a spear? That's nuts!"

"I don't know. You could probably do it if you had to." Denny looked back towards the print on the wall, and while I knew he was proud of it, I could tell it still saddened him to know he had to kill the thing. "It's not like they really wanted to hurt me, I don't think," he said at last. "I don't know for sure, but someone once told me that they sometimes bite if they're curious about what something is. Like a baby puts things in its mouth?"

"Hell of a way to figure it out," I muttered. "Good thing he got your spear and not your hand." I could only imagine what he would be like if he had. At the very least, I figured he'd be a lot more bitter about the world...

Suddenly, the room went ice cold. I gasped in surprise, and when I did, I felt as if I couldn't breathe. I was choking. On water. Even though I was on land. I vaguely remembered Denny saying my name and asking if I was all right, but every time he spoke, the feeling only grew. I was panicking. I knew I was safe in the physical sense, but my mind was racing. Was it a vision, or was I reliving my own horrific experience?

_"Buckwheat, hold on! Mama's comin' so don worry!"_

And then I saw it. I was in the ocean, and I was somersaulting over and over again- almost as if I were in a washing machine. But it wasn't me. This person was smaller, maybe even a child, and when they reached out, I could tell by the size of the hand that I was right. My eyes burned, but I kept searching the stormy waters. I was hoping, begging, _praying_ for whoever called out to find me.

"Mark!" I shot upright, my chest heaving as I gasped for air. Whatever it was that had happened was over, but my thoughts were too scattered to realize I was safe. "What the hell just happened, man?" Denny shook my shoulders, trying to bring some sense back into me, but I didn't say anything. I just continued to stare off into nothing. "Just what the hell was that?"

"You... drowned, didn't you?" I asked. "Or you almost did, but then someone saved you. Your mother, I think... because your father wasn't there." He just stared, but even if he didn't want to believe me, I had to make him to make him understand. For my own sake if nothing else. "She didn't talk quite right," I continued. "Well, I guess it was right to her, but her accent was really heavy." Then I looked at him again. "You don't have any idea what I'm trying to say, do you?"

"No, I get what you're saying," Denny assured me. "I just can't believe it."

"So is it true or not?" I wanted someone to tell me I was right and for someone to give me recognition. I had never met someone who could, but I kept hoping. Then again, maybe it was only the alcohol that was clouding my mind. "Please tell me. I need to know if I really just saw all that, or..."

If I had really lost it.

Denny studied me for a little while longer, but all that time, he never once looked at me with doubt. Finally, to my relief, he put a hand on my shoulder and nodded. "Yeah, that's a part of it."

"There's more?" He nodded once again, but this time he was much more hesitant to agree with me. That was when I realized it without him having to say anything. "She died trying to save you, didn't she?"

"She did," he agreed with a heavy sigh. It was just like all the life had been drawn out of him as he said it, but I could hardly blame him. No doubt there were more than enough times when he blamed himself, though. After all, he was still here, alive and well, and she was dead. "She kept me from drowning, but... we were out at sea for a long time afterwards. No one even knew we were out there."

Although he said nothing more about it, I was able to put the pieces together well enough on my own. I might not have seen in it the same way as I had earlier, but I had a feeling she had most likely died of exhaustion. It was no wonder when she not only had herself to keep alive, but she had her son as well. A mother's love truly knew no bounds.

"You saw all of that, right?" Denny mumbled, his face buried in his arms as he brought his knees to his chest. "That's why you were turning blue and all that, isn't it? 'Cause you were me?"

"That's what it seemed like." After all, it had never happened before. I may have gotten messages from those who had died or even those were who were still alive from time to time, but nothing quite like it had ever happened. At least not to that extent, and I was sure I never wanted it to happen again. No matter what the circumstances were. "If I had been you, though, I probably wouldn't have decided to become a fisherman."

"But that's why I did it," he insisted. "She told me to never be afraid, so that's what I did. I wasn't going to back down just because of what happened." He looked up at me and smiled. "Funny how you're the only person who knows that."

"Sorry... I'm sure you would've wanted to wait a lot longer before I found out," I said with an uncertain smile of my own. "I mean, that's not something you would tell a guy you just met."

"Maybe, but most of them can't talk to ghosts, either," he reminded me. I felt my face warm when he said it, but he didn't seem surprised. A reaction which made me wonder if maybe he had known others like me in the course of his worldly travels. "That's what you do, isn't it? Talk to spirits and stuff?"

"I never said I did," I replied, "but how did you know that that's what happened?" Denny only shrugged his shoulders, and I continued to question just how much he might know about me. Possibly because of my own loose lips, but I doubted it. Even if I had had more to drink than I should have, I was still too guarded for that to happen. "You'll keep this between us, right? I really don't want other people to know about it."

"I won't say a word," he assured me. "Not that anyone else would believe me..."


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

"So... do you just tune into 'em, or don't you have a choice?"

I sighed, berating myself for ever having agreed to drink with the man the week before, but although I was frustrated, I couldn't exactly blame Denny for asking so many questions. After all, he might not have thought much of it when I had my vision, but once the shock had worn off, I knew he would start trying to understand just why it all happened. It was a natural response, and I had to do my best to accept that. Not that it would be very easy for me, of course.

"They come to me when it best suits them," I explained as I cast a line into the water. "Most of the time they don't have the energy, though, so it's not like I hear them all at once." I paused for a moment and watched my bobber bounce along on the slow rolling waves, but like a watched pot, it did nothing. "Unless I'm underwater."

"Then what?" I felt my face warm to realize that I had said it, but I tried to play it off as nothing and shrugged. "Ah, you don't know, huh? That's okay. It's not like you can know everything about it, right?"

But I did know, and I also knew that I could never tell him the truth. It would be too hurtful... for the both of us.

"Hey, Denny. I've got a question for you." He just looked at me out of the corner of his eye to let me know I had his attention and went back to watching my line. "How do you actually believe any of this? I mean... there's not a lot of people who believe in ghosts or whatever, right? Most of them would just say, 'Yeah right,' and move on."

"Yeah, but those people aren't fishermen like I am either," he chuckled. "Seamen are a superstitious bunch- where I come from anyway." I could understand that. I had always heard that that was the case, after all, but a part of me had begun to wonder if Denny ever thought of himself as anything more than just his profession. Not that I had a chance to ask when he suddenly cried out, "Fish on!"

"Oh!" Before I could even try to reel in the line, Denny had snatched the pole right from my hand. "Hey, that's-"

"No time!" I thought to argue with him, and then I decided it wasn't worth it. Besides, it was hard not to smile when I saw the excited grin plastered on his face. He was like a little kid, and maybe it was because of that that I let him catch the darn thing. "Ha! Not bad for your first fish, Mark... A foot maybe?"

"You were the one who caught it," I reminded him. He didn't even hear me because not a moment after he held it out to me. It was a sea bass, and although I didn't know what size it was just by looking at it, I agreed it was a big fish. "Denny, I can't take that," I insisted as he continued to offer it to me. "That's yours."

"No, it's not," he laughed, shaking his head. "I just got over-excited is all."

_"Just how much time are you willing to waste?"_ The Voice whispered, seemingly come from no where. _"There is still so much you don't know, and yet you're still sitting there."_

By this time, I had learned to ignore the Voice. I still heard her, of course, but her words had become nothing more than a distant murmur lost among my own thoughts. She was there, and yet at the same time, she wasn't. While I was more than happy with the arrangement, I could tell she was getting impatient.

_Just leave me alone,_ I ordered. _Whatever it is, it can wait. I won't be much longer now._ As soon as I thought it, I felt the air chill, but I only shivered slightly. Thankfully, it was not enough for Denny to take notice, and so we went on with our conversation as usual. "I forgot to ask," I continued, "but how'd it go this morning?"

"Not bad," he replied with a shrug. "I got enough to get by, so I can't complain."

_"Enough small talk,"_ the Voice hissed. "_You have no time to hear what I say, and yet you sit here. For what? What can this fool tell you that is of any importance?"_ Did she feel threatened by him? _"He is a fool."_

_Maybe he is,_ I agreed, _but you certainly aren't any better. When I thought I heard a distant growl, I felt the color drain from my face. She was angry, and even though I didn't quite understand why, I decided it was best not to stick around and find out. "I hate to cut this short," I began, "but I apparently forgot I needed to do something very important." My friend raised an eyebrow. "See you tomorrow when you get back?"_

Denny stared at me a while longer, but he eventually laughed and clapped me on the back. "Because I have so much to do after that, right?"

I smiled in return, but as soon as I stood and turned my back, it disappeared. The Voice- whoever she was- was getting stronger. While she had been confined to the Phillips' home in the beginning, she quickly seemed to be everywhere. The only place I hadn't heard her was at the farm, and even then, if she put up enough of a struggle, she was more than capable of finding a way to speak up.

"Oh, Mark. It is you," Felicia called, waving to me from her front door. The woman smiled as always, and although she held a broom in her hand, she was more than happy to ask me to stay. "I haven't put dinner on yet, but if you'd be willing to have me buy that fish of yours, I'll be happy to get started."

"I can't ask you to pay for what you're going to feed me," I reminded her. "Besides, I really have to go." But to where? The Voice had only told me to leave the beach, and yet I did it without thinking at all. Idiot.

"Well, how about I just buy the fish then?" the woman offered. "Even if you can't come to dinner tonight, it'll get eaten."

"Sounds like a deal," I agreed at last with a small smile. After all, if I didn't give it to her, my only choice was to eat it, and there really was no point in that. Not when I had 'more important' things that needed doing. "I don't think I'll be around much later, so give the others my best." Felicia gave her promise to do so, but just as she closed the door again, I felt an even worse chill run down my spine. _What now?_

There was no answer at first, but I knew the Voice was still there. She was watching, but just what she was looking out for, I could only guess. As if understanding my curiosity, however, she was finally kind enough to reply. Despite it still not being much of an explanation.

_"Be patient, Mark,"_ the Voice assured me with a chuckle. _"You'll see soon enough... Yes, you'll see."_


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

For whatever reason, I had trouble sleeping that night. I was restless, and my legs ached to move again as soon as I tried to lay down. It was strange, but I didn't think there was an unnatural reason for it. My mind just wasn't quite ready to go to bed... which was a new experience to say the least.

It was funny how, back in the city, the idea of just laying around with nothing to do was appealing. However, working on a farm had turned my whole life a hundred and eighty degrees around, and it was hard to believe that three short months ago I had been such a different person. It made me wonder if maybe there really was something to all that talk about fresh country air.

That made me think of the other people, my neighbors, and what had brought them there. Most were more than willing to tell their stories, and the tales went across the board. Some had come to escape the big cities, others were trying to bring their family together, and even more had come after hearing rumors of the place. In the end, they just wanted a chance to clear the boards and start their lives anew.

_"And yet you never tell them what it is that brought you here,"_ the Voice whispered. _"Why is that, I wonder?"_

"How would I begin to try and explain you?" I sighed, closing my eyes. I felt more tired than ever when I realized she was there. It was too bad she wasn't about to let me even try to sleep. "You came here for something, didn't you?" I asked, opening my eyes again just in case she decided to show herself. "Just come out and say it. I'm listening."

_"Oh, Mark, I want nothing of you,"_ she assured me. Although the Voice was being sweeter, like she had been in the beginning, I found the change only put me more on edge. _"I only wanted to see you."_ I thought to ask her if she ever stopped watching , the question was loud enough to where she could actually hear it, but she sounded more amused than anything. _"You still have your doubts, I see."_

I had no trouble finding irony in the statement. After what I had seen her accomplish, it was hard not to imagine that she might be capable of deceiving me. To put it bluntly, even if she wasn't evil, she sure was twisted. The Voice would have to be if she was willing to throw a lamp at an innocent girl.

"Yeah, I guess I do," I replied at last. I drummed my fingers on the dining table while I struggled to keep my patience. She was starting to irritate me, and I had a feeling she knew that better than I did. After all, the only thing I could do was hear her voice. She could read my mind."You wanted to see me, right?" I asked. "I don't think you like to come here, though... Mind telling me why?"

_"That, at least, I can do,"_ she agreed. The Voice was firm, but I could tell she was nervous. Was the farm really that frightening for her? _"It's all just too familiar,"_ she murmured. _"This kitchen... that bed. All of it."_

"Did you live here?"

I felt the air around me warm, but then it cooled again. At that time, I was sure the Voice had gone. I understood why she left, but it didn't make me feel any less frustrated. In her own way, she had given me an answer, but although she had done what I asked, I still wanted to learn more about her. Before I could figure out which of the more important pieces were still missing, however, I heard someone.

And that someone was screaming.

I bolted up from my chair and ran towards the door. As soon as I opened it, I looked to the road, and to my surprise, Felicia was laying there. She had clearly fainted, her eyes closed and her head tilted back, but the only question I had was why she was even there to begin with. Of course, this thought only occurred to me after I had run to her side to see what was the matter.

"Felicia?" I breathed, crouching down beside her. She remained silent, but I kept asking questions with the hope that one of them might be the one to bring her around. "Why were you all the way out here when it's so late? Is there something wrong back home?"

When she still didn't respond, I found myself at a loss for what to do. If she had a concussion, I supposed I shouldn't try to move her, but then I also had no way of getting help without leaving her alone. All I could think to do was to get my jacket to put over her. At least it would keep the damp night air away until I could either find help or she would wake up on her own.

By the time I returned from the house, the woman had begun to stir. She moaned quietly, rolling her head to the side, and once I had eased her upright again, I wrapped my coat around her narrow shoulders. She thanked me, but her eyes stared straight out into the field. "Did you see something?" I asked. Felicia took a deep breath, but she was unable to say what it was. Whatever she had seen it, the very thought it brought tears to her eyes. "How about you tell me after we get you home?"

"Yes," she agreed. "You're right... You're absolutely right."

As we walked together, I couldn't help noticing that her feet were bare. Not only that, but she was still in her nightgown as well which made things a slightly more uncomfortable. I had to admit, the night was becoming much more strange than I thought it was earlier.

"Mark... there's something I need to tell you." I glanced at the woman out of the corner of my eye, but her face was as blank as before. She was also pale, and I started to think she might faint again. However, when I offered her my arm, Felicia stepped away from me instead. "I saw her," she said. "Just now, I saw her. That girl."

"What girl?"

"The girl who attacked Natalie in the hotel." My blood went cold. "She's the one the whole town is talking about," her mother continued to explain. "Chen told me just yesterday that Charlie had seen her through their window." She took another deep breath and swallowed it while trying to keep herself from shaking. If her hands were any indication, it didn't work very well. "I thought she was one of those local legends, but Mark... I _saw_ her. I know I did."

"Did you get a good look at her?" Felicia shook her head. I sighed to think it was yet another missed opportunity to unravel the mystery behind the Voice, but there was little I could do about it. Even if I could make her reappear, I wasn't sure the poor woman's heart could take it. "Well, we should get you inside," I reassured her as we neared her front door. "You hit your head pretty hard there, after all..."

"You don't understand, Mark!" She took a firm hold of my collar and brought my face on level with her own. I blinked in surprise, but I couldn't think of what to say when she clearly wasn't herself. All I could do was listen. "She is a _terror,_ Mark. Her face was... it was still there, but it was covered in mud."

"Mud?"

"But it wasn't a real face," she continued. "Half of it was there, but the other... I don't even know how to describe it." She stood there, frozen, as my jacket slipped off her shoulders and onto the ground. Whatever it was that she had to say, it proved too much for her to handle. No matter how much she seemed to want to deny seeing what was in my field, she couldn't hold it in. "Her face was all caked in mud, but there wasn't any skin underneath. I'm sure of it."

If what Felicia told me was true, then she had most likely seen the Voice. A theory that was only strengthened by the fact that the spirit had been seen leaving my house. Still, why would she bother crossing the field? Was that why there was mud on her face, from collapsing in a wet field just before she passed?

As we stepped inside the Phillips' house, the woman was still shaking. While we had tried to be quiet coming in, it wasn't long before someone came to greet us. Almost immediately, I found myself face to face with a very angry daughter. I wasn't surprised, but the way Natalie glared at me still sent a cold shiver down my spine. It was as if she saw right through me.

Just like a ghost.

"You know what that thing is, don't you?" she accused, jabbing her finger in the direction of my farm. "You never say a word about it, but you know what's out there." When her mother tried to shush her, the girl only recognized her long enough to wrap a blanket around the older woman's shoulders and sit her down on a nearby chair. Even then, she was quick to turn her attention back to me. "Everyone knows about you. Even Charlie," she went on. "You're not like the rest of us."

"Maybe not," I agreed, my face hardening. I thought to tell her off further, but I knew that would only make things worse. After all, dealing with a rude person was just as bad- if not more trouble- than talking with someone who heard voices in their head. "Why are you telling me this now if you knew about it all along?"

"Because Mom told me to keep my mouth shut," Natalie snapped back, narrowing her gaze. "And Gramps won't hear of any of it. He says we're just a bunch of gossiping hens, but I know better. I've seen that girl."

"The one with the mud on her face?"

Natalie was stumped.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded, trying to hide the uncertainty in her voice. "She didn't have any mud on her face..." The young woman stared at me, and then looked to her mother still sitting in silence. She hadn't said a word since coming inside, but I dismissed the cause as anything but the result of shock. However, her daughter was less than willing to let her think things through. "Is that what you saw? Then... it couldn't have been the same girl, could it?"

Felicia's grew even wider than before, no doubt having realized that there might be more than one spirit roaming the island, but she stayed quiet.

"I can't really say what she looks like," I admitted. "I can only hear her, but it's not like I do all the time. She just talks when she wants to," I explained, my own voice unusually distant. "As far as I know, she's never tried to show herself to me..."

"Well, if I was dead and covered in mud, I wouldn't want you to look at me, either." Although I knew Natalie was being serious, I almost cracked a smile. Of course, she would never give me the chance to. "I guess I need to get Mom to bed," she muttered. "You can just go home."

"Don't send him back there," her mother gasped. "Not back to that place."

"It'll be all right," I assured her. "She won't hurt someone like me." I offered her a weak smile to ease whatever doubts she still had, and having done all I could for the night, I stepped back towards the door. I hesitated at first, but it wasn't long before I shook off any of my own unsettling feelings. "We can talk about this more tomorrow morning."

Although I put on a good show for the pair, I was more than a little unsure about going back to the farm. I had promised Felicia that I would be fine on my own, but there was no telling what would happen. The Voice had already proven herself to be quite vengeful, so I knew I had every reason to be worried. Not only for myself, of course...

But for the others as well.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Author's Note:** I strongly suggest that anyone who caught the last update, go back to reread the last chapter since there's a large number of things that have been added, changed, and edited.

I also wanted to say that the reason there's been so many updates for this story recently is due to my watching a play through of _Amnesia: The Dark Descent_. Talk about a terrifyingly dark atmosphere! This story won't be going to quite the same levels of horror, but I will say it was a great inspiration and incredible driving force.

-/-

**Chapter Ten**

The next morning, before I had even watered my crops, I went back to check on Felicia. Not surprisingly, I still had had a hard time sleeping the night before, but if the uncharacteristically heavy bags under her eyes were any indication, she hadn't fared any better. Given that she had seen the figure, I imagined it had probably been much worse. As I expected, though, she still tried to be her usual cheerful self.

"Hello again, Mark," she greeted me, a cup of tea cradled in her hands. She smiled as sweetly as she could manage, but I could hear the sound of her nails clicking against the porcelain. "I'm very sorry about last night."

"Why were out there so late?" I asked. "Were you looking for something?"

The woman visibly paled and looked to the floor. After only a brief moment of silence, I pulled back a chair and sat down beside her. When that failed to comfort her, I put my hand on her shoulder, and at last, she stopped shaking altogether. Whether she was calm enough to tell me what had really happened was a different matter, though.

"I was looking for the ghost," she said. "I've always been a curious sort, I guess, but I never expected to see... that. It was quite a shock." Felicia's expression changed then, but unlike her fear, I had a hard time reading it. "Why aren't you afraid, Mark? Doesn't any of this bother you?"

"Of course it does," I replied. "I'm bothered that you're bothered." She was clearly surprised to hear me put it so simply, but it was the truth. "I know I should be frightened by her, but I've heard so much that none of it really surprises me like it used to. Besides, it's not like she can do any real harm to anyone."

The woman was quiet once more, but it seemed that, like her expression, it had changed. The silence was much sadder, and even without looking into her eyes, I could tell she felt sorry for me. That was the usual reaction. Well, when people weren't call me a mad man anyway.

"Have you... always been this way, Mark?" the woman pressed. I only nodded, my nails digging into the palms of my hands, and bit my lip until I could taste my own blood. While I had an easy time explaining my life to Denny, this was much harder. It was just like trying to explain it to my own mother... back when I could still bring myself to talk to her, that is. "Are you all right? I didn't push too far, did I?"

"No, it's fine," I assured Felicia with a smile. "I just don't think about it much these days. I'm more worried about why this voice... spirit, girl, or whatever is trapped on this island and how we can send it on its way."

"What... is its way?" I blinked, not being ready for the question, but she had me lost for words. After all, I never really gave much thought to where a person's soul was supposed to go. I just knew it was wrong for them to be on the same plane as the living, or at least that was what I was led to believe. "So even someone who talks to the dead, doesn't know?"

"It's not something any of us should know," I explained. "Even if the spirits could tell me, I would never think to ask."

"You probably have never lost someone close to you, have you?" Although Felicia mumbled the words, I still felt my temper slowly begin to rise. A hard thing for a person to do, but surely not impossible. "It's not so easy to keep yourself from thinking about it then..."

"Depends on the person."

"I suppose it would."

It was at that point I quickly decided I had overstayed my welcome, and since she seemed well enough, I could leave without having to feel any guilt about it. However, just before I left, I turned back to tell her one last thing. Not that I would've bothered otherwise, but even if she didn't mean to hurt me, the damage was already done. "I know none of you have ever asked, but I just figured you should know one last thing."

The woman waited, her back straight and her eyes alert, and I briefly wondered just how long she had been hoping for me to tell her a little about myself. It was just too bad the first thing I had to say was so damn close to home.

"Just now, when I said I would never ask where we're supposed to go after we pass, it wasn't because I've lived my whole life without losing someone." I took a deep breath to try to calm myself, but my mind was still clouded. The words just came pouring out. "You want to know when I first started hearing those voices?" I asked. "It was just after my father died. I was the only one who could hear him, and not one person believed me. Not one." The woman looked away in shame. "Do you have any idea how-"

"Hey, Mom, Grandpa was just looking for you, but I don't- Oh, hey there, Mark." Eric smiled to see me, and I tried to do the same. Even without seeing it for myself, though, I was sure it was less than convincing. "Did you need anything?"

"No, I was just passing by," I replied before turning my attention back to the woman at the kitchen table. "Thanks for the tea, Felicia, but I think I should head back to the farm. Need to make sure I've got enough room for that chicken coop I ordered before Gannon gets there."

The truth, of course, was that I had planned to talk to the man later that day, but I was hardly in the mood for talking business. It could wait until I could think clearly again. Unfortunately, my mind only wanted to remember, and I was hopeless in trying to stop the flood of memories that came.

My father was the first to come to mind, naturally. The way I saw him was much different from the reality that he had been in the end, but I recognized him all the same. It was understandable that I would see, though, since the figure in my head was not the person he had been after the pain began to take away his strength to so much as smile.

He wasn't a tall or imposing man by any means, and both his thick, wavy hair and distant eyes were more the color of dirt than chocolate. If anyone glanced his way, he was simple enough to be easily be forgotten. I sometimes wondered whether or not he wanted things that way, but I didn't ask. All I knew was that he was a good and honest man.

Just that one passing thought was always what brought tears to my eyes whenever we spoke to one another.

_Dad._ The word echoed in my mind, and I stopped in the middle of the road to try and concentrate on the image in the distance. Was it really a memory, or had he come back to talk with me? It was too early to tell for sure. _Do you know what's happening on this island?_

The man opened his mouth to speak. At first, there was only a hiss, like wind through an empty building, but then I heard the Voice. However, I had a hard time believing it could be one in the same with what I had become accustomed to. The Voice I heard then was not kind or gentle, and I wasn't so sure it was even human anymore.

_"You're such a worthless boy, Mark,"_ it seethed. _"So blind you can't even see what's right in front of you..."_

_What are you?_ The creature laughed as the illusion of the man began to waver. His torso spun at the waist, causing his spine to crack, and when he turned back to face me once again, my heart stopped. _The girl..._

Just as Felicia had said, half of her face was covered in mud. For some reason, it was still fresh as it dribbled and dripped down her forehead and over her unblinking eye until coming to rest at her chin, but my mind was unable to try to decipher any meaning. I was too distracted by the other half. It was all bone, save for a few wisps of muddied hair, and from deep within her empty eye socket, a darkness began to spill out until everything was around it, including myself, was consumed.

Complete blackness was all that followed.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Author's Note:** My roommate recently watched _Paranormal Activity 2_, so we've started watching a lot of ghost shows together. Thankfully, I found myself inspired to work on this story again. I still have a lot of love left to give it, and I wish I had more inspiration for it. Enjoy!

-/-

**Chapter Eleven**

I had no way of knowing how long I was lost in the darkness. The only things could remember were seeing my father and then the face. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I could feel the warmth that came with the waking world. The last was enough to actually make me sigh with relief.

_At least I know I'm still here._

Having come back to my senses, I realized that I was laying down, and as well as being on a bed, I was sure it was not my own. For one, the mattress was much softer than mine, and for another, the blanket that was over me was too heavy. It was only after opening my eyes that I could see that I was back in the Phillips' house.

The ceiling above me consisted of patches of new and old plaster, but aside from that, the bedroom was wonderfully pleasant. Even the room itself had a comforting presence with its buttery yellow bed things and power blue rugs. Then again, any place that was away from the vision would be a welcomed sight. Just the thought of the frightening experience made me shiver despite the warmth of the striped yellow walls that surrounded me.

"Mark? Oh, thank the Goddess you're awake!" Before I could even tell what was happening, Felicia wrapped her arms around me and started smothering me with a hug. My face flushed and my mouth almost went dry. "It's been hours! Are you all right?"

"Yeah... I think so." I didn't really know what else I could possibly say, but it satisfied her enough to have her let go of me. "Why is my throat so sore, though? It's like sandpaper..."

"You were screaming." Felicia became quiet and sat on the bed beside me. Her hands were in her lap to keep her from shaking, but she was still calmer than she had been the night before. "I can only imagine what you must've been going through... You must have been terrified."

"It's always terrifying when you see something like that," I admitted. _But it's even more horrible when you can't run away from it._

"Here, have some tea," the woman offered. "I put it on the table there for you a few minutes ago, so it should still be warm." Although I was more than capable of doing it myself, she suddenly stood up to do it for me. Her movements were just as quick and deliberate. To me, it looked like she was thinking about how she was going to do each and every action, and it wasn't long before her joints started to get stiff. "Mark? Is there something wrong?"

"No," I lied, my eyes darting to the other side of the room. "I was just htinking about the Voice," I continued to explain. "I can't decide whether she's a good or bad spirit... I know it shouldn't be that simple, but I've never seen a time when it wasn't."

"Maybe she's just lonely?" Felicia suggested, her hand resting on my own. She offered me a teacup and saucer, and I gladly accepted it. "When I was a little girl," she began, "I was always told that ghosts take on the appearance they had in death." She breathed in deep as she reached back into the depths of her mind for the memory. After finding it, she smiled and gazed up at the ceiling. "She can't help what she looks like. Poor girl... she must feel awful."

_That still doesn't explain why I could see _bone," I thought bitterly.

"You might be right," I agreed after a long pause. "Maybe she was a good person." I sighed, trying to put my words together, and then set my tea aside. "If she is now, though, then she shouldn't be going out of her way to scare us. She had no reason to do it." _You haven't heard what I have._ "I need to talk to her... tonight if I can. I need to know what happened to her."

I tried to stand up, but when I did, my head still felt like it was stuffed with cotton. My body swayed, and I sat back down again. My mind cleared and I blinked. "Mark? Are you sure you're okay?" I heard Felicia ask, her voice far away as if it came from a different room. "You've gone pale again."

"I'm fine." It was another lie, but there wasn't else I could say. How could I explain it? Hearing voices was one thing, but being pushed down by psychic wall was too complicated. I'd never even run into one quite like it before. "Probably a concussion..."

"Should I call the doctor?"

"No, I'll be all right," I assured her. "It's not the first time it's happened, so I should be okay. I'd like to stay here for a while, though, if it's no problem."

"You should stay the night." When I shook my head, she smiled with her hand still holding mine and her grip getting tighter. At first I thought she felt sorry for me, but one look into her soft brown eyes and I knew. She was afraid. "I don't think any of us would mind," she insisted. "You can sleep in here with Elliot and my father if you'd like."

"The couch is fine." I tried to get up again, and this time everything really was fine. Whatever it was, whether the Voice or the concussion, it was leaving me. "Can I help with dinner," I asked, "or is it ready now?"

"I have a roast on, but you can help me with the salads. Father's been asking for it for a long time, but we had to wait until things came into season..." Felicia prattled on as we walked back through the house. If I didn't know any better, I might have thought I'd just knocked myself out in the field. "Why don't you start cutting the tomatoes and I'll pull some lettuce?"

"Sure, I'll... I'll do that."

As we passed by the front door, I could feel someone standing just beyond the door. The air was thick, smelling of sweat and swamp water, and I could hear the spirit breathing heavily on the other side. It lasted for only a moment before the tension broke. I only hoped that it would be gone for the night... because I wasn't sure how long I could hold out if it returned.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

"So what happens now?"

I glanced away from the sink and towards the girl still seated at the kitchen table. Natalie was perched with her feet wrapped around the chair legs and her eyes staring straight ahead. I wasn't surprised when she refused to look at me. It was the most normal thing to happen that evening. Although I didn't want to, I had to admit I was happy to know that some things never changed.

"Now we wait." Turning back around, I began scrubbing at a stubborn piece of grit on the bottom of the roasting pan. "I know that's probably not what you want to hear... but that's all there is to it. Even if I wanted something to happen, there's not a whole lot I can do about it either."

Natalie just sighed and stood up. At first, I figured she'd storm out of the room, or maybe she'd get right in my face and yell. What I didn't expect for her to try and help by drying the dishes. All I could think to do was ask, "What are you doing?"

"Waiting."

"Oh."

We worked together in silence, neither one interested in looking at the other. Although I couldn't say what was on her mind, I knew exactly what was on mine. I couldn't hear anything, but I could feel it. The way the Voice prowled just outside the front door as if ready to pounce at any moment. It was maddening.

"Isn't there any way we can stop this?"

"Salt could keep it out," I said with a shrug. I reached down into the bottom of the sink and pulled the plug. The sound of the water being sucked down the drain made me cringe. "It's like a natural barrier."

"And you're trying to tell me that will actually work?"

"It's worked for me in the past, so I don't see why not," I assured her. "It's not like it'll hurt even if nothing happens."

"Top right corner in the far left cupboard," Natalie muttered, setting aside the last plate. "You'll have to get it yourself, though. It's too high up for me to reach, and Mom's the only other one in this house who can."

"Can't El-"

"Are you kidding?" she scoffed. "Elliot's even shorter than me!" Although her eyes were still as sharp as ever, I thought I saw her lips twitch into a quirk of a smile. If she had managed to pull it off, it probably would've been cute on her. "He got it from Gramps."

After managing to reach the salt with the help of a chair, we made our way through the house. We drew a line in front of every entryway, and when her family looked on, none of them said anything. Elliot had just stared, and Taro had shook his head. As for Felicia, she quickly decided it would be interesting to follow us. However, I knew she was the least of our worries.

The Voice was there too, after all, and the way it circled the property reminded me of a predator trying to find its way into the den of its prey. Unfortunately, its prey was stubborn, and even worse, it was also clever. With night coming on fast and its strength returning, the Voice started to snarl and claw at the front door.

"What is that?" Natalie asked. She looked to me and back to the door while still gripping the salt canister tight in her hand. "You put salt down over there, didn't you? That means it can't get in, right?"

"That's the idea," I agreed. The longer I stared at the door, the more weight the Voice seemed to put against it. "If you wanted, you could open all the doors and windows," I continued. "You'd just have to make sure there's no wind when you do it."

"No, that door's staying shut." Natalie's teeth ground together when she said it, but her bravery didn't last long. Not that I could blame her after what was going to happen next. "There's no way I'm going to let that thing-"

Suddenly, the Voice threw its full weight against the door. The sound was like a sonic boom, and Felicia shrieked as the house shook. Her daughter had thrown her entire body against mine, and I could feel her nails digging into my shoulders. Not that I gave it much thought when I was too busy praying that the barrier would hold.

It tried again, this time with less force than the first, and having failed again, it tried once more. Then there was only silence. None of us dared to move, but after ten minutes had passed, there was a sigh of relief.

"It's gone," Natalie whispered. "I felt it leave... but where did it go?" I could feel her hot breath on my neck, but I was able to ignore it. I had better things to worry about. "Mark?"

"I don't know," I said at last. "I don't think it'll be back tonight at least. Using that much force would draw the energy out of any ghost." The word burned my tongue, but I tried not to flinch. It wasn't like I could offend it any more than I already had. "There's nothing to worry about now."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No, Mark is right," Felicia agreed. It was the first time she'd spoken since dinner, but as unusual as it was, she sounded like she didn't have a care in the world. When I looked at her, she was even smiling. It did make me wonder what she could still be hiding, but I was too shaken to ask. "You said so yourself that she was gone, Natalie. I'd say this is going to all be behind soon enough."

"But Mom, you heard that thing trying to get in here!" her daughter snapped. "What if it tries again?"

"Why don't we stay out here tonight then?" she offered. "We have some sleeping bags, I think, and it'll be just like the camping we did when you kids were young." Putting her hands on her hips, the woman's smile only grew. "That is if Mark doesn't mind some company tonight."

All I had to do was give the go ahead and she was busy turning the living room into a regular campground. Felicia argued with me over sleeping on the couch, but after insisting that I would be fine on the floor beside Elliot and Natalie, she finally agreed. Taro was the only one not stuffed into the room, but he might as well have been. I could still hear him snoring from two rooms away. Natalie might've been the first to complain, but she was also the first one to fall asleep. Elliot and her mother followed soon after, and it wasn't long before I was asleep as well.

What I saw first in my dreams was my father. He looked like he had in the road, but this time he was standing on our front porch. His smile was sad, and his eyes were distant. His calloused hand gripped the wood railing along the stairs, and as he made his way down, I was sure I saw him wince once or twice.

_"Mark... there you are,"_ he said, his voice scratching the back of his throat. "_We were waiting for you, buddy. Your mom's been real worried about you going off alone this late at night, you know."_

_"Sorry, Dad."_ My voice cracked when I spoke, and his smile broke into a grin. _"I was just out for a walk."_

_"I know,"_ he assured me. _"I keep telling her it's only natural for a boy your age to want some independence, but you know your mother. I guess you're still her baby in her eyes."_

As his hand fell on my shoulder, the scene suddenly changed. I could see my mother standing next to me, and I felt her frail hand clutching my own. Her graying curls hid her face, but I could still hear her sobbing while she dabbed at her eyes with a lace handkerchief. Her dress was black. There was a heavy weight in my gut, and it was then I remembered where we were and what was going to happen.

We had been alone in the field. Mom had still been crying, and I was at a loss for how to comfort her. A leaf floated on the breeze and landed on the slab of rock laid out on the ground. Kneeling over the stone, I let go of her hand and brushed it away from the name carved into its surface. It drifted towards the river before landing at a man's feet. When I looked up, I gasped and stared with wide eyes.

The feet had belonged to my father.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Author's Note:** I watched a play-through of _Fatal Frame_ (or _Project Zero_) I and II this past week, and I'm blown away by the story. I'm not usually into Japanese horror, but this series is fabulous. I only wish that _the Grudge_ and _the Ring_ had translated so well.

Despite my continued hiatus, I'm still trying to work on all my current fan stories as well as my original material. Still, I thank you for your comments and support!

-/-

"So that thing has the power to shake a whole house?"

I simply nodded before having to yawn. Although I had slept well, I still felt exhausted. Maybe my thoughts hadn't been as untroubled as I'd hoped. There I was, sitting on the beach with Denny, and I still couldn't relax.

"I've never heard of that happenin' before," Denny admitted, "but I still think you're a lot braver than most people."

"I don't know about that," I said. "Felicia might've screamed, but I think it was more out of surprise. She was just fine this morning, and so was everyone else. It's like nothing ever happened."

Denny mulled on that for a moment and took a sip out of his beer. He looked more serious than I was used to, but it did remind me of the expression he often wore when watching the end of his fishing pole. Then he sighed and tried to smile.

"That Felicia is something else," he said. "If you ask me, it sounds like she's trying to be strong for her family's sake." His smile grew into a toothy grin as he met my gaze. "That and she probably doesn't want you to worry about her, either. You know?"

"Watch your mouth." I took a long drink and a deep breath. "I'm actually really surprised that the salt worked."

"Yeah, you mentioned that earlier, but I always heard that was the best thing to do without a priest or whatever," Denny said. "You know a lot more about it than I do, but advice like that doesn't tend to stick around unless it's true."

"I used to use salt all the time, but then one day it stopped working." I downed the last of my beer. "The only reason I told Natalie it would was because I didn't know what else we could do. Now I'm second-guessing myself all over the place."

"But you can't stay with them forever," Denny mumbled into his drink. His grin from earlier was gone. "It'll probably leave them alone once you leave, right?"

"Yeah... probably."

I rested my chin in my hand and sighed. Neither of us mentioned it, but one question remained. If I went back to my farm alone and tried to stay there after dark, who knew what could happen to me? The Voice would have me right where she wanted me. At least where I thought she wanted me to be.

"If you need to, Mark, you can always stay here." Denny picked himself up of the sand and went for the cooler sitting behind us. "Want another beer?"

"No thanks." I wasn't in the mood. "Are you sure you'd be okay with me around? The Voice could come after you next."

"Then I'll just have to be ready for her," Denny assured me. He cracked open a new can and took a sip. He was grinning again. "Besides, I wouldn't mind some company every now and then. It gets quiet around here even with Kuu, and we wouldn't have a chance on our own."

I didn't say anything. His offer was tempting, but I was still worried. It wasn't just about Denny or even the Phillips family. I knew I couldn't avoid the Voice and the problems she caused forever.

"I'll think about it," I finally said. "Don't wait up for me, though."

I let the beach soon after. I had to get to the farm and find out what happened, if anything, overnight. My heart was beating faster and faster as I went up the hill. My mind was racing with questions. Would I see the Voice again? Was that even the Voice, or was it another spirit that I'd seen?

Then, as I reached the top of the hill, I saw it.

Even though there hadn't been any rain, my entire field was flooded. It looked like a soup bowl filled to the brim. As I approached the edge, I realized that the ground surrounding the field was bone dry. So much so that it cracked under my feet. I looked to see what had become of my crops, but I couldn't see them under the muddy water.

"Did you do this?" I asked the Voice. I couldn't feel her presence, but I was sure she was there. "If you need help, why don't you just say it? Isn't that why you called me here?" I grit my teeth. "I wanted to help, and this is what you do? You won't get any help from me this way. You have to know that. You have to."

The Voice refused to answer. Her energy surrounded me and then began to walk, slow but with purpose, toward the field. Small ripples flickered over the water's surface. Then she stopped in the center, and after a moment of stillness, the water started to recede from the edges.

When it had pulled all the way back to the Voice, there was still a small pool around her. I took it as a warning. She might not have the power to attack me head on, but she would be watching. She had all the time in the world to wait.

I steeled myself and went straight to the house. The voice was getting stronger, but she was also being careless. After showing off her new found abilities, she was too weak to strike out at me. She couldn't touch me at least for another hour if not longer. I had some time.

I threw together some necessities; the rest could wait until another day. Then I left the property. I was too afraid of what I might see if I looked back. I would face my fears another day when things started making more sense. Until then, I would stay at the stack.

However, just as I was about to go back down the path to the shoreline, I saw Denny and Taro standing by the broken bridge. Only it wasn't broken any more, and they weren't alone. Gannon was standing on the far end of it. His jaw was as firm as ever, but he was smiling, proud of what he had accomplished.

"What d'ya think of her, Mark?" he asked. His voice was as thick and solid as granite. "Now we'll be able to go into the woods."

"It's great, Gannon." I pushed my concerns to the corner of my mind as I forced a smile onto my face. "There's probably a lot over there that we can use. Any idea how far in the forest goes?"

"No way to tell from here." The mountain of a man rubbed his chin while he glanced behind him. "I figured Taro and I would go in there and poke around a bit. Make sure it's all right for the rest of the island to explore on their time. Don't want anyone getting into trouble over here."

"We could always look, couldn't we, Mark?" Denny asked. "I mean, we've got nothing to lose by checking it out."

"Oh no," Taro insisted. "Gannon and I got this." He was practically beaming, his chest puffed out and his eyes squinting into the sun, while he stood on the bridge. "Besides, Mark needs to think about the farm. I see you overwatered it a bit. Might want to dry out those fields before your crops drown. We wouldn't want that, would we?"

"Er, no," I mumbled. How could I even begin to explain? "We wouldn't."

"Right then." The old man turned to Gannon and started his march into the forest. "Let's go, Gannon. The wild isn't going to tame itself, after all."

Denny and I watched as the men pushed their way through the underbrush, remarking on the old trail that ran through it. However, as soon as they were out of earshot, I felt my friend's hand on my shoulder. "That ghost pulled another fast one on you, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she did," I replied with a firm nod. "I think it's just one more warning. I don't know for what, but she's pretty serious about it. First she calls up a wind and now this. We need answers, Denny, but I can't figure out where to find them."

My friend took one last look towards the woods. I could see the gears turning in his head as he stared into the trees. Even without having his thoughts in my head, I knew what he was thinking.

"Maybe our answer is in there."


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen  
**

The first night at Denny's was uneventful. We had still lined the entryways with salt as a precaution, but I was happy that nothing had happened. More than for my own sake, though, I hoped that it meant my friend was out of harm's way.

"You ready to get this show on the road?" Denny asked. "You look tired."

"I'm fine." I downed the last of my orange juice and straightened out my jacket. "I don't want to get caught out there after dark. Not until we figure out where we're going anyway."

The forest itself didn't appear all that threatening. The trees were far enough apart to let light shine through the leaves, and the path that Gannon and Taro had found was overgrown but maneuverable. As we walked in further, the path even began to show signs of use. Something that Denny noticed right off the bat.

"Do you think anyone's been livin' out here?" Denny all but whispered. "This path is too wide to be a natural trail. Don't you think?"

"Vaughn would probably know for sure," I agreed, "but it does look suspicious."

It couldn't have been unusual, though. I could hear birds, and there were fresh rubbings on the trees. From what, I wasn't sure, but it didn't look menacing. Everything was perfectly normal. It was a nice change.

"But if someone was living here, they must have been here before whatever happened to this island happened..."

"Well, Mark, you're not as helpless as I first thought."

Denny and I froze. We had stumbled across a small clearing, but looking around the open space and between the trees, neither of us could see anyone. Then, with no other option, we looked up.

High above us, even further than the tree tops, was a black and billowing figure. It began to descend as we backed away. When it came to rest on the ground, we realized that it was a woman. A woman who had been flying astride a broomstick.

As soon as she landed, she whirled around to face us. She was wearing a black cape and a cunning smile. Her blonde hair was wild and twisted into tight curls, but her most striking feature was her bright red eyes.

"You're impressed, I see," she said, "as you should be, for I am the Witch Princess." She took the edge of her cape and held it out like a dark wing and bowed. "A pleasure, I'm sure." I heard a dry rattling sound. I looked just in time to see a rabbit's skull and others I couldn't identify disappear under the cloak. "Well?"

"Ah, so… you must be the one who lives here then," I choked out. "Am I right?"

"Yes, you are, Mark," the Witch replied. "I was here before any of you mortals, and I'll be here long after you go." Then she frowned. "Who is this?" She jabbed a finger towards Denny. "I thought you'd come alone, and then you brought a friend. How rude."

"That's Den-"

"Don't tell her my name!"

Denny was pale, his face and arms ashen with fear. He took a step back and then another. He turned to run, but I grabbed his arm before he had the chance. He wasn't leaving me to face this witch on my own.

"He's a friend," I finished. "If you can figure out my name, you can figure out his. After all, you are the Witch Princess. You said so yourself."

"Fine." The Witch breathed in deep through her nose and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her pupils had shrunk to the size of the head of a pin. _"Masks crack and words fail, my wisdom and magic will prevail. Show me your title, give me your name, like a moth called to the flame."_

Denny's body jerked back and out of my grasp. His hand flew to his chest, and he gasped, stumbling away from her. His eyes threatened to roll back into his head, but I caught him before he collapsed staring into the sky.

"Denny?" she asked. She blinked and her eyes returned to normal. "Really, that's your name?" the Witch rolled her eyes. "I guess it's not as bad as calling you 'Buckwheat' for the rest of your life, but honestly. What was that woman thinking?"

"What did you do to him?"

The Witched smirked and cocked her hips. "What are you talking about? He's fine."

"He fainted!"

"Well, I wouldn't have had to read his soul if you two had just told me his name in the first place," she argued. "He had another name before, so I had to dig a little deeper. That's all."

"Another name?" My friend stirred in my arms. "Denny, what is she talking about?" When he didn't answer, I had to look back to the Witch. She didn't flinch. "Denny isn't his real name?"

"It's been his name since three days after he was born," she explained. "Before that, he was someone else. It's not all that important, just superstitious nonsense."

"But you don't know my real name, do you?" Denny croaked. He blinked and sat upright, glaring at her feet. "You might known my given name, but you don't know the real me. You can't control me."

"Are you trying to talk tough now, little boy? Maybe I should make you sleep for another three days, or maybe you'd like to sleep for a whole year?"

"That's enough!" I snapped. "You know his name, and that's fine. Now, tell me, are you going to be able to help me with the Voice or not? Because if you're not going to help, then I'll find someone or something else that can."

"Mark, don't make her angry," Denny warned. He stood up, and although his legs were still shaking, he managed to keep his feet on the ground. "If she could do that to me, just think of what she could do to you."

I bit my lip even after I tasted blood and stared right into the Witch's eyes. I wouldn't be afraid of someone who I could see and feel, but I knew I had to be careful. She might not have been the Voice, but she was still stronger than I was right then.

"Please, Witch Princess, I… I have no one else I can ask," I began. "Do you know what the Voice is?"

She didn't reply right away. The Witch was studying me with her unnatural gaze, and I could feel my thoughts becoming faint. However, just before I thought I would reenact what happened to Denny, she smiled.

"Yes, but we can't talk like this. Give me one week, and I will explain what I can." Then her expression became serious again. "You will come here at night, in black, and you will not tell anyone where you are going and why…" The Witch narrowed her eyes. "Oh, there is one final condition. This one is the most important, and if you fail to listen, I will never offer my help again.

"You cannot summon the Harvest Goddess. No matter what happens, you are not allowed to give her anything. Not even a stone."

-/-

**Author's Note: **Just to clear up something for those who may not be familiar with it, I included a naming practice that is still practiced in many cultures today. In these cultures, it is believed that a child must be given a "false" name which is known and shared with everyone and a "true" name. This practice is believed to protect the child from being stolen away or manipulated by malevolent spirits and even people.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

Waiting for a week to speak with the Witch Princess was irritating. Every night, I went to sleep wondering whether or not the Voice would return. When she didn't, I couldn't keep from wondering why. As if to remind me of what made me so afraid, the puddle remained in the middle of my field.

I was too stubborn to let it keep me from my work, though. My crops had survived the drowning, and I'd be damned if I'd let them die out of fear. I was already angry for not sleeping at the farm without losing my main source of income as well. I'd also be lying to myself if I didn't admit it made the waiting easier. It took my mind off of the stranger things that were happening to me.

At the appointed time, I got myself dressed. Since I didn't have any black clothes of my own, I'd had to borrow some clothes from Vaughn- indirectly and with Mirabelle's help, of course. Unfortunately, about the only thing that fit was the shirt which I'd gotten from Denny.

"You aren't going to trip on those pants, are you?" Denny jerked the back belt loop with his free hand and finished off the beer in the other. "You'd be better off without them if you ask me."

"Maybe but this is what she told me to wear." I eyed him as he went back to the fridge. "Shouldn't you slow down? That's your fourth one tonight…"

"Relax, I'm not doin' anythin' wrong," he moaned and rolled his eyes. "Besides, this stuff is what's keepin' me sane. We're in some serious shit, here, and I can't do much about it. Might as well drink while I still can."

I let it go. There was no point in arguing since I'd drank my fair share the night before to calm my own nerves. "I'll be back by morning, so just make sure the salt is set and keep the door shut," I warned. "Don't answer it for anyone but me."

"I'm not the one you need to be worried about," Denny said quietly. "Don't make a deal with that witch… or we'll _both_ regret it."

* * *

The walk to the forest was simple enough. No one tried to wave me down to talk or ask for my help, and the air was damp but warm. I could see lightning in the far north, but there was no thunder. The storm wouldn't reach the island until morning. I watched the skies for a brief moment before heading over the bridge and to the clearing.

Even in the dark, I could see the Witch Princess waiting for me. She'd forgone the broom, but she was more or less the same as she was a week before. Of course, there was more of a glint in her eyes this time around.

"So you came, after all?" The Witch sounded pleased as well. "You're the kind of man who doesn't give up easily, Mark. I like that." She whispered a spell under her breath and a soft, blue light glowed between us. Then she looked me over. "Oh… and I've got to say, you look good in black. You even left that hat of yours back at your boyfriend's house. You really should leave them at home more often."

"Did I really have to come here like this, in black and over the cover of darkness?"

"Yes," she huffed. "I had you wear black because black is traditional for this sort of thing. I had you come at night because that's the best time for these rituals, and I even brought us a storm to give us enough energy to work with. Now, follow me, and don't ask anymore questions or get lost on me. If you do, I'm not coming after you."

Although I'd just met her not that long, I felt like she was lying about the last part. She had made a light, and I was sure she knew the way well enough on her own without it. Then again, maybe I was just being naïve. Anyone who was a witch, princess or not, was someone I had to be wary of.

We were much closer to our destination than I could've thought, though. There were two paths which lead out from the clearing, the first straight ahead and the second to the right. We took the first. It wasn't long before we turned into another clearing and, with a suspicious lightning flash, I saw a small cottage.

It wasn't what first came to mind when I thought of a place where witches would dwell. It was purple, or maybe pink, for one thing, and for another, there was a little lantern lit over the door. The walk was swept, and there were pink cat blossoms growing along it.

"Come in, Mark, I have everything ready," the Witch Princess said, pushing aside the door. "All will be revealed soon enough. On second thought, don't think of it like that. It sounds clichéd."

"And my wearing all black isn't?"

"Shush, I told you, that's tradition." She walked further in and snapped her fingers. The blue light went out, and what looked like a hundred candles lit up the small house. "Sit wherever you like."

I looked for a chair, but there weren't any. In fact, there wasn't any furniture other than a large cauldron and a few bookcases. Not to mention there were a dozen or so teddy bears scattered throughout the small space. I wasn't sure whether they were talismans or just another one of her quirks. I didn't ask and sat down next to the smallest one I could find.

Meanwhile, the Witch sat across from me in the arms of the biggest teddy bear I had ever seen. The shadow it cast over her made her appear unusually more foreboding than I expected. "You know her as the Voice, correct?" she asked. "Would like to know who she is?"

"I haven't asked."

"You should then," the Witch advised, "if you want to speak to her again on your own. Otherwise, I can always find out for you… for a price, of course."

"What kind of price?"

"Nothing much." Although she was grinning, I wondered about her intentions. "Think of it as a favor for a favor. I do this for you, and you do something for me. It may be tomorrow or decades before I ask. I might even ask you on your death bed. All you have to do is do exactly what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it. Understand?"

I stared at her. How could this woman be serious? Even if she could tell me the Voice's true name, what good would it do me? I had enough questions as it was already. One of which was still bothering me.

"Why do you want me to do this for you, exactly?" I sat up straighter and tried to look as serious as I could. "Does it have something to do with the Harvest Goddess you told me about? The one I couldn't make an offering to, is she the thing that's been-"

"No." The Witch's voice was cold. "That thing, spirit or demon, is not the Harvest Goddess. She was a person, once, but what she is now even I don't know for sure." Her temper rose with her voice. "What I do know is that it's that little bitch's fault that the Harvest Goddess isn't here, and I'll be damned if I let her get away with it anymore!"

Before I could say another word, the Witch Princess lay her hands on the floor in front of her and spat. The phlegm burst into a blue flame, and all the other candles in the house went out. Her red eyes flashed, and the last thing I felt was the cold falling from the roof and trickling down the walls onto the floor. The teddy bears and the Witch Princess herself faded into the darkness as the flame dimmed.

Then I saw the Voice.

She was different from my vision before. She seemed smaller, less threatening. Her back was turned to me, but I could see the dirt and mud still clinging to her shorts and her red boots. They matched the bandanna tied on her head. A puddle surrounded her feet, and I could see her shivering. Her gaze was far off, and if I hadn't experienced the things I did, I might have felt sorry for her.

"_Show me your name, girl."_

The Voice turned, very slowly at first and then spinning a full 180 degrees. Her face was covered by lank hair, but I could see two blue eyes peering out at me. She wanted me to see her, to see her as she was before whatever happened to her happened.

"_Masks crack and words fail,"_ the Witch Princess began, still cloaked in shadow. _"Show me your title, give me your name, like a moth-"_

_"I am the Voice_."

Suddenly, the girl appeared in front of me. She was smiling, her face the same it was the first time I saw her on the way to my farm. When I tried to back away, she grabbed my arm. Her touch was ice cold and wet. Her face began to blur around the edges, and my mind went blank. Her hand pulled away from me.

"I_ am Chelsea."_


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Author's Note:** I'm not super happy with this chapter, but all things considered, it could have been a lot worse. I just have a very hard time building suspense without it dragging on and on. Things are about to happen, though, so that's good. Too bad the things that are about to happen aren't.

**Chapter Sixteen**

I don't know how long I was unconscious for. As with all the other times, I was very cold, and my whole body felt damp. There was no light, and there was no sound. Not until I heard the Witch Princess calling for me. I could hear her voice above my head. It was distant at first, but it slowly became closer and closer until I could almost feel her breath on my face.

"You took your sweet time coming back," the Witch snapped. "Didn't you hear me? Why didn't you come back like you were told?"

"I would have if I heard you sooner."

"But I've been calling for you all night," she insisted. "I used every spell and potion I had to get you up. No living person could have held on that long, and you know it." She ran her hand through her frizzy hair. "Damned psychics. You and magic never go well together."

I wanted to ask her why she even tried to help if that was the case. I knew the reason, but I wanted her to admit it. She was just as afraid of the Voice as I was. She was afraid of Chelsea.

"Did you recognize the name at all?" I asked, picking myself up off the floor. The walls seemed to give at first, but I recovered quickly. It was either impressive or sad how used I was becoming to losing consciousness. "You heard her, too, didn't you?"

"Of course I heard her." The Witch Princess began to pace, and the skulls around her waist rattled with every step. I realized then how intimidating she could be. "That doesn't mean I know who she is or what killed her off." She kicked a teddy bear across the cottage. "The only one who could care enough to remember is the Harvest Goddess."

"I know you said something about her before, but why can't She come back?" As a goddess, I figured she would have no difficulty appearing. "Is She sleeping? They always said in my town that was why She never appeared to us."

"That's just stupid," the Witch scoffed. "She was probably too busy to bother. Either that or your town was too boring. No, the reason is more serious than that. The Harvest Goddess can't come because the water here is tainted."

"By Chelsea?" I asked. "How could she have that much power over water? I know spirits can affect their surroundings a little, but this would be too much for anything other than the Harvest Goddess… or you."

"You say that, but you know it's true. We both know that Chelsea flooded your field." The Witch Princess sniffed in distain. "That's probably why she was able to sneak up on me- the storm, you know."

"That's right, the storm! I've got to make sure Denny made it through all right."

Although I knew it was strange for me to up and leave when I was finally getting some answers, I was worried. If Chelsea really could manipulate water as much as the Witch Princess said she could, then what chance did Denny have against her? He was only a few steps away from the water's edge, after all.

The sun had just risen when I got to the beach. Thankfully, nothing looked too unusual. The sand was still wet and littered with seaweed and other natural debris, but none of it was unexpected after a storm. What worried me was the fact that Denny's boat was already tied to the dock. He was never back from fishing until nine at least.

"Denny?" I opened the front door and stepped into the shack. The lights were off. "Are you all right?"

I found him lying in his hammock. He was curled up in a tight ball with Kuu nuzzled into his neck. His eyes were wide open and bloodshot. I wasn't even sure if he was breathing. However, when I said his name again, he blinked.

"Goddess, Denny, what the hell happened to you?" I asked. "Did something happen last night? What did you see?"

"Felicia." He blinked again. "Felicia was out in the storm. She was in the water… It was up to her knees, and the waves were getting bigger and bigger. I went to bring her inside, but…"

"But what?"

"When she turned around, she was someone else. A girl with an orange jacket and red boots was there instead. She told me her name." Denny closed his eyes and shuddered. "It was Chelsea. Then another wave came crashing down, and she was gone."

"So she spoke to you, too." I picked Kuu up out of Denny's hands. The bird blinked and fluffed its feathers as if he had no idea what had happened the night before. "I'm going to check on Felicia," I said. "Do you want to come with me, or do you want to stay here?"

"I'll stay here," Denny mumbled. "I don't know what I'd do if I saw her right now."

Kuu and I didn't waste any time in visiting the Phillips family. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chen and Charlie standing outside of their store. They were watching, but I didn't know what they thought they might see. Maybe it was time to ask them.

"Mark, you're back," the mother greeted us as we walked in through the door. She kept her back turned to me while she shut off the stove. "Come on in. I have the kettle all ready for you."

As soon as I set foot inside the kitchen, I felt Kuu tense in my hand. He tucked his head under his wing and refused to look up.

"I know," I whispered. The air was thick, and I was starting to feel cold. "I know…"

"You look pale, Mark," Felicia rambled on. She set the tea down on the table before starting to rummage through one of the cupboards. "Do you want some honey in your tea, or would you rather have peppermint? I can put in cinnamon in there instead if you want. It might make you feel better."

"Felicia, have you ever gone down to the beach by yourself?"

The mother stopped and closed the cupboard door. She wasn't shaking, but she was still holding on tightly to the counter. Finally, she nodded.

"Did you go last night?"

"No," she said. "I wouldn't go down there during a storm, and I can't say I like the thought of being down there at night, either." Felicia became quiet for a moment. Her head was bowed, and her voice had begun to shake. "I haven't done that in a very long time, not since my husband died. That was… almost ten years ago."

I sat down at the table and sipped at my tea. It burned my tongue, but I didn't complain. "Can you tell me more about him?"

"He was a lot like you, actually." Felicia sighed and sat down next me. She was fighting to keep her usual smile on her face. "He was always warm and kind. He was brave, too, but he wasn't stubborn. He just did whatever had to be done."

"Can you tell me his name?"

"I'd rather not." She bowed her head and gripped her tea cup tightly with both hands. "He was a sailor," she explained. "He was on a freighter, so I never would have thought something would actually happen. The next thing I knew, I was told that he and his crew had died at sea. I don't know what happened. No one did, but I guess that's no one's fault."

My heart sank. I recognized that look in her eyes, and I didn't know what to say. I couldn't tell her the truth. After all, if I did, she might actually run into the water for real. I didn't know what I'd do then.

"Mark, I normally wouldn't ask this, but I've been thinking about this for a while now." It was coming. I could hear it on the tip of Felicia's tongue even before she said it. "Can you tell me about my husband? Where is he now? Do you know?"

"I don't," I lied. "Like I've said, even I don't know what happens when we go."

"I thought not." The mother sighed one last time and flopped back in her chair. She looked so thoughtful yet so sad at the same time. "It's all right. I'll just have to see him when I can. That's how it's supposed to be, right?"

"In theory," I agreed. Before I could stop myself, I put my hand on hers and squeezed. "I'm sorry I asked. I won't ask you again."

"Thank you."

As I stood, Kuu turned his head and looked up at me. Denny had told me before that the bird was expressive, but I couldn't shake the feeling he was trying to convince me to stay. "Come on, Kuu," I urged the little bird. "I have something I need to ask Chen before I take you back home."

After I closed the door behind me, I looked across the road to Chen's shop. The father and son were gone, and the blinds were pulled over their windows. They didn't answer when I knocked on the door, either. "Come on, I just saw you out here," I demanded. "You have to talk to me at some point."

Neither one answered.

"All right, then I'll ask you one thing," I continued, unfazed. "Does the name Chelsea ring a bell? I think she may have lived here before." I waited for a moment and then pressed on. "If you could find out anything, I would appreciate you telling me. It might put a stop to everything that's going on here."

Just when I turned to leave, I heard the door creak open. It was Charlie who poked his head out, and I could see the fear in his eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen someone genuinely afraid, not of spirits, but of _me._

"We know her," he said quietly. His little hands clung to the door knob, and the more he said, the more it rattled in his grip. "No, we _knew_ her. We knew Chelsea." He paused and shut his eyes tight. "She was… very nice, back then. She was a very nice lady."

"What happened to her?"

Charlie looked behind him. I was sure I heard Chen say something to him, but before I could make out what it was, the boy turned back to face me again. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I have to go now."

I watched the door slowly close and heard the lock turn. I stood there for a time, not sure what to say or do, and it was only after Kuu chirped, that I decided to leave. Whatever had happened on the island, whatever had ended Chelsea's life, it was nothing compared to what was about to happen. I was sure of that if nothing else.


End file.
